Three Roads to the Welfare State: Liberalism, Social Democracy and Christian Democracy

Bryan Fanning traces the development of European welfare states in this accessible analysis of social change from the Industrial Revolution onwards. The book explores evolutions through the lens of three traditions, social democracy, Christian democracy and liberalism, with insights into the people and beliefs that influenced each.

The development of social policy in Europe is explored in this accessible intellectual history and analysis of the welfare state.

From the Industrial Revolution onwards, the book identifies three important concepts behind efforts to address social concerns in Europe: social democracy, Christian democracy and liberalism. With guides to the political and ideological protagonists and the beliefs and values that lie behind reforms, it traces the progress and legacies of each of the three traditions.

For academics and students across social policy and the political economy, this is an illuminating new perspective on the welfare state through the last two centuries.