Indebted Societies

Credit and Welfare in Rich Democracies

Andreas Wiedemann

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781108838542
• eBook ISBN: 9781108986229
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Comparative Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

In many rich democracies, access to financial markets is now a prerequisite for fully participating in labor and housing markets and pursuing educational opportunities. Indebted Societies introduces a new social policy theory of everyday borrowing to examine how the rise of credit as a private alternative to the welfare state creates a new kind of social and economic citizenship. Andreas Wiedemann provides a rich study of income volatility and rising household indebtedness across OECD countries. Weaker social policies and a flexible knowledge economy have increased costs for housing, education, and raising a family - forcing many people into debt. By highlighting how credit markets interact with welfare states, the book helps explain why similar groups of people are more indebted in some countries than others. Moreover, it addresses the fundamental question of whether individuals, states, or markets should be responsible for addressing socio-economic risks and providing social opportunities.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title page
• Series page
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Contents
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Acknowledgments
• 1 Credit and Welfare in Rich Democracies
• 2 A Social Policy Theory of Everyday Borrowing
• 3 Financial Shortfalls and the Role of Welfare States
• 4 Credit Regimes and Patterns of Household Indebtedness
• 5 Borrowing to Address Labor Market Risks
• 6 Borrowing during the Life Course
• 7 The Political and Socioeconomic Consequences of Credit and Debt
• 8 Implications and Conclusion
• Appendix
• Bibliography
• Index