Political Institutions and Elderly Care Policy

'Takeshi Hieda has written an insightful and readable book about a serious problem - funding long-term care for a growing aging population. He not only demonstrates the diversity of national approaches to the problem but also explains this diversity by looking at how electoral rules promote universalistic and particularistic policies. Quantitative analyses support his arguments, and qualitative case studies of the United States, Japan, and Sweden illustrate the links between political institutions and public policies to care for the elderly.'

- Fred Pampel, Professor, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA

This book helps us make sense of a major puzzle in comparative social policy. Why do we find so much cross-national variation in the provision of social services, and particularly of service for older people? By skilfully combining statistical analysis and qualitative case studies, the book argues convincingly that one important determinant of variation in social service provision lies with the type of political competition that is dominant in a country. In this way, the book manages also to make a much appreciated contribution to welfare state theory.

- Giuliano Bonoli, Professor of Social Policy, Swiss Graduate School of Public administration

'Takeshi Hieda offers a fascinating account of how Japan, Sweden and the US have dealt with demographic aging. This book is a solid comparative book that examines the elderly care policies in these three countries. Theoretically, it is a welcome addition to the burgeoning literature that examines the role of electoral rules and party competition in shaping the welfare state. Hieda builds on this literature, and demonstrates that the presence of programmatic political parties is a crucial factor in the development of a universalistic welfare state.'

-Margarita Estevez-Abe, Associate Professor of Political Science, Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs, Syracuse University