The Possibility of Politics: A Study in the Political Economy of the Welfare State

Does the welfare state work? What does the answer to this question say about the effectiveness of political reform? This study of the political economy of the welfare state develops a framework for the analysis of public policy within the theory of rational action, analyzing public policy in terms of legitimacy, governability, poverty, equality, efficiency, and activity. Looking anew at the basic concepts of poverty and economic efficiency and the methodology of income redistribution research, Ringen concludes that the welfare state has indeed worked well and that there is therefore considerable power in political reform.

Business & Money

Ringen, Stein

Economics

Oxford University Press

Does the welfare state work? What does the answer to this question say about the effectiveness of political reform? This study of the political economy of the welfare state develops a framework for the analysis of public policy within the theory of rational action, analyzing public policy in terms of legitimacy, governability, poverty, equality, efficiency, and activity. Looking anew at the basic concepts of poverty and economic efficiency and the methodology of income redistribution research, Ringen concludes that the welfare state has indeed worked well and that there is therefore considerable power in political reform.

Children's Books

Growing Up & Facts of Life

Should children vote in national elections? How much is the family worth? Is the end of class inequality in sight? Professor Ringen tackles these and other crucial questions in this engaging and provocative new work on the future of reform democracy. The role of democratic government is necessarily limited: it cannot take action which trespasses on liberty. However democratic government is also condemned to action: it cannot choose to do nothing about persistent injustice. Is there a middle ground between the double imperative of liberty and equality? Professor Ringen argues that in the areas of family and welfare policy there is. He warns against "the terrible temptation towards perfection" and argues for a notion of rationality governed by restrained self-interest, the civic spirit.

Citizens, Families and Reform

Politics & Social Sciences

Sociology

There are two great mysteries in the political economy of South Korea. How could a destroyed country in next to no time become a sophisticated and affluent economy? And how could a ruthlessly authoritarian regime metamorphose with relative ease into a stable democratic polity? South Korea was long ruled with harsh authoritarianism, but, strangely, the authoritarian rulers made energetic use of social policy. The Korean State and Social Policy observes South Korean public policy from 1945 to 2000 through the prism of social policy to examine how the rulers operated and worked. After the military coup in 1961, the new leaders used social policy to buy themselves legitimacy. That enabled them to rule in two very different ways simultaneously. In their determination to hold on to power they were without mercy, but in the use of power in governance, their strategy was to co-opt and mobilize with a sophistication that is wholly exceptional among authoritarian rulers. It is governance and not power that explains the Korean miracle. Mobilization is a strategy with consequences. South Korea was not only led to economic development but also, inadvertently perhaps, built up as a society rich in public and civil institutions. When authoritarianism collapsed under the force of nationwide uprisings in 1987, the institutions of a reasonably pluralistic social and political order were there, alive and well, and democracy could take over without further serious drama. This book is about many things: development and modernization, dictatorship and democracy, state capacity and governance, social protection and welfare states, and Korean history. But finally it is about lifting social policy analysis out of the ghetto of self-sufficiency it is often confined to and into the center ground of hard political science.

The Korean State and Social Policy: How South Korea Lifted Itself from Poverty and Dictatorship to Affluence and Democracy (International Policy Exchange)

Kwon, Huck-Ju

Yi, Ilcheong

Kim, Taekyoon

Lee, Jooha

How Democracies Live: Power, Statecraft, and Freedom in Modern Societies

Times have not been kind to democracy. This book is in its defense. In the new century, the triumph of democracy at the end of the Cold War turned to retrenchment. The core democracies, in America and Britain, succumbed to polarization and misrule. Dictatorships, such as China, made themselves assertive. New democracies in Central Europe turned to muddled ideologies of "illiberal democracy." In this book, Stein Ringen offers a meditation on what democracy is, the challenges it faces, and how it can be defended. Ringen argues that democracy must be rooted in a culture that supports the ability of citizens to exchange views and information among themselves and with their rulers. &nbsp; Drawing on the ideas of Machiavelli, Aristotle, Tocqueville, Max Weber, and others, Ringen shows how power is the fuel of government, and statecraft turns power into effective rule. Democracy should prize freedom and minimizing unfairness, especially poverty. Altogether, Ringen offers powerful insight on the meaning of democracy, including a new definition, and how countries can improve upon it and make it function more effectively. Timely and thought-provoking, How Democracies Live is a sober reminder of the majesty of the democratic enterprise.&nbsp;

Legal Theory & Systems

University of Chicago Press

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Nation of Devils: Democratic Leadership and the Problem of Obedience

Yale University Press

Oxford University political theorist Stein Ringen offers a thought-provoking meditation on the art of democratic rule: how does a government persuade the people to accept its authority? Every government must make unpopular demands of its citizens, from levying taxes to enforcing laws and monitoring compliance to regulations. The challenge, Ringen argues, is that power is not enough; the populace must also be willing to be led. Ringen addresses this political conundrum unabashedly, using the United States and Britain as his prime examples, providing sharp opinions and cogent analyses on how the culture of national obedience is created and nurtured. He explores the paths leaders must choose if they wish to govern by authority rather than power, or, as the philosopher Immanuel Kant put it, to “maintain order in a nation of devils.”

What Democracy Is For: On Freedom and Moral Government

In this provocative book, Stein Ringen argues that the world's democracies are failing to live up to their ideals--the United States and Great Britain most especially. The core value of democracy, he contends, is freedom, the freedom to live a good life according to one's own choosing. Yet he shows that democracy's freedom is on the decline. Citizens are increasingly distrustful of political systems weighted by money, and they don't participate in political affairs as they once did. Ringen warns of the risks we face if this trend continues, and puts forth an ambitious proposal for democratic reforms.
 The issues that concern him are ones that should concern us all. They include education, poverty, the social and economic roles of families, the lack of democracy in our economic lives, and the need to rejuvenate municipal democracy. Along the way, Ringen proposes policy solutions aimed at restoring democracy, such as universal vouchers for education, substituting the principle of individual insurance for social-welfare pensions, and rethinking how we measure poverty in rich and poor countries. He calls for the revival of local democracy, a democratically grounded global economy, and the protection of political democracy from the transgressions of economic power.
 The way to protect democracy is not to cheer it, but to reform it. What Democracy Is For offers a bold defense of democratic ideals, grounded in real reforms.

Politics & Government

Princeton University Press

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Books by Ringen, Stein

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Ringen, Stein. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Possibility of Politics: A Study in the Political Economy of the Welfare State

The Possibility of Politics: A Study in the Political Economy of the Welfare State

Citizens, Families and Reform

The Korean State and Social Policy: How South Korea Lifted Itself from Poverty and Dictatorship to Affluence and Democracy (International Policy Exchange)

How Democracies Live: Power, Statecraft, and Freedom in Modern Societies

How Democracies Live: Power, Statecraft, and Freedom in Modern Societies

Nation of Devils: Democratic Leadership and the Problem of Obedience

Nation of Devils: Democratic Leadership and the Problem of Obedience

What Democracy Is For: On Freedom and Moral Government

What Democracy Is For: On Freedom and Moral Government