Poverty, Welfare, and Public Policy

Why do some governments take concerted action to address poverty and inequality, while others seem to do little about it? How does politics that shape these responses?

This course examines the modern and changing welfare state, comparing social policies in Europe, the U.S., and East Asia. We explore how gender, race and class impact the politics of social policy, how rapidly aging populations and low birth rates in industrialized democracies have impacted our social safety nets and how immigration has affected welfare states. The course is guided by the overarching concepts of citizenship, power, institutions and identity.