An edition of Closing the door to destitution (1990)

Closing The Door To Destitution

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Last edited by ImportBot
December 7, 2022 | History
An edition of Closing the door to destitution (1990)

Closing The Door To Destitution

  • 0 Ratings
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During the depression of the 1930s, both the United States and New Zealand passed a Social Security Act. Both countries were developed nations of the "new world," and each statute was an omnibus measure aimed at protecting citizens from the poverty so visible at the time. The two acts, however, were very different. The New Zealand measure was absolute, promising everyone medical care and a reasonable income in every circumstance. It redistributed income downward.

The U.S. act addressed only a handful of risks, and each of its two main programs covered less than half of the population. Its benefits were funded by regressive taxes, and the main programs promised more help not to persons in greater need but to those in higher paying jobs.

Scholars of comparative public policy have tried to account for such differences among welfare states. Their explanations have commonly stressed economic, cultural, bureaucratic, or political differences among countries. The character of life in these two countries makes it possible to conclude simply that the United States and New Zealand passed contrasting acts because their histories were different. Richards argues that this conclusion is too vague.

After all, the Social Security Acts did not materialize from national ambience. He shows that the contrasts between the two systems stemmed from national differences that were inveterate, with the differences between their political systems being the most direct influence. By closely examining the two systems of governments Richards reveals that the U.S.

Social Security Act reinforced the country's inequalities, while New Zealand's act reflected that nation's legislative and electoral arrangements, which allowed bold policymaking by politicians who knew the pain of poverty.

Publish Date
Language
English
Pages
212

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Edition Availability
Cover of: Closing the Door to Destitution
Closing the Door to Destitution: The Shaping of the Social Security Acts of the United States and New Zealand
April 1994, Pennsylvania State University Press
Hardcover in English
Cover of: Closing the door to destitution
Cover of: Closing the door to destitution
Cover of: Closing The Door To Destitution
Closing The Door To Destitution
May 30, 1990, Pennsylvania State University Press
Paperback in English

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Book Details


Classifications

Library of Congress

The Physical Object

Format
Paperback
Number of pages
212
Dimensions
8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
Weight
10.4 ounces

ID Numbers

Open Library
OL10284378M
ISBN 10
0271026650
ISBN 13
9780271026657

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Download catalog record: RDF / JSON / OPDS | Wikipedia citation
December 7, 2022 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
October 8, 2020 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
August 1, 2020 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
April 13, 2010 Edited by Open Library Bot Linked existing covers to the edition.
April 30, 2008 Created by an anonymous user Imported from amazon.com record