Amsterdam University Press

Barbara Vis
Politics of Risk-taking
Welfare State Reform in Advanced Democracies

How much and in which direction have the welfare states among the Western democracies changed over the past decades? Moreover, under which conditions have governments enacted these changes? Based on insights from prospect theory, a psychological theory of choice under risk, Vis demonstrates ably that the context in which governments find themselves (losses or gains) affects their attitude towards risk and thereby the degree and type of reform they pursue. Facing socio-economic losses or political ones, governments accept the electoral risk involved in unpopular reforms, such as benefit cutbacks; confronting gains, they steer away from them. The study’s new theoretical stance and innovative methodological approach (fuzzy-set analysis) make Politics of Risk-Taking a must read for policymakers, scholars as well as students interested in the politics of welfare state reform.

Barbara Vis is assistant professor in comparative politics at the VU University Amsterdam. In 2008, she received the prestigious Veni grant from the Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research (NWO) to further develop her research ideas.

Reviews
"Given the electoral risks, the question of why governments reform the welfare-state at all has long been in need of an answer. Based on prospect theory, “The Politics of Risk Taking” offers an original answer. It is a must for anyone interested in the politics of welfare-state reforms."
Prof. Christoffer Green-Pedersen, Professor of Political Science, University of Aarhus, Denmark.

"Innovative in theoretical and methodological terms, Barbara Vis’ book is a model of cutting-edge scholarship. Her cognitive-psychological theory of decision-making convincingly explains the transformation of European welfare states, and her configurational approach to causal inference submits this theory to a rigorous test."
Prof. Kurt Weyland, Lozano Long Professor of Latin American Politics, University of Texas, USA

"This is an excellent book that contributes to one of the most important debates -- both in comparative political economy and in the political debate within mature democracies. It shows that governments have more options than a 'hands off'-approach in recent welfare state reform."
Prof. Klaus Armingeon, Professor of Political Science, University of Berne, Switzerland