"The contributors to this volume study five federations - the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and Canada - that have different types of market economies and different federal institutions to see exactly how federalism matters for labour market policy. Conversely, they also use labour market politics as a lens to understand federalism better." "The book confirms the importance of institutional arrangements in the contemporary process of adjustment to a more global and post-industrial economy. The economic challenges are the same for the different federations, but the policy responses vary significantly, in accordance with the varieties of capitalism and federalism that prevail in each country. Students of labour market policy should thus pay close attention to the institutional and political context in which decisions are made. Likewise scholars interested in federalism should be sensitive to the diversity of policy choices and constraints faced by federations, and avoid treating them simply as arrangements that disperse authority or contribute to the preservation of markets."--BOOK JACKET.