This volume seeks to trace certain tendencies and developments in social policy in Western Europe and the United States. In the first, which is general, Professor Girod recalls the objectives of social policy as well as offering a number of scenarios or strategies for the future of social policy. The social policy philosophy of Schumpeter, Hayek and Roepke, and their current vitality, are traced by Professor de Luabier. Professor Delcourt, in his chapter on Social Policy - crisis or mutation?, presents a critical analysis of various trends in social policy and in particular the elitist philosophy of Hirschmann. The second part of the volume deals with particular national experiences: Switzerland by Professor Tschudi; Sweden by Dr. Hartmann; the United States by Professor Beneton; and Italy by Professor Donati. The book broadly covers the diverse range of subject matter encompassed within the term ‘social policy’ and should be of great value both to social policy practitioners as well as to those academics concerned with the fields of economics, sociology and political science.