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 166-067 The Australian Welfare State in International Perspective

Note

Formerly available as 166-483. Students who have completed 166-483 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

Availability

4th year

Credit Points

12.5

Coordinator

Bruce Headey, Brian Howe, Linda Hancock

Prerequisites

Admission to fourth year Honours in Political Science.

Semester

2 (view timetable)

Contact

A 2-hour seminar per week

Subject Description

The subject will involve analysis of equity and efficiency issues relating to the welfare state. We will also assess the effects of the Australian state on the incomes of different sections of the community and on income inequality. The benefits and costs of Australian social policies and taxes will be compared with the effects of policies in other types of Western welfare-capitalist states. Drawing on Australian and international welfare state experience, students will design new tax and social policy proposals, and assess their effects, using the STINMOD (Harding, 1995) computer simulation program where feasible. Issues of gender and ethnicity will be addressed in this subject.

Assessment

An essay of 2000 words on conceptual issues relating to the welfare state; and a project of 3000 words which involves a new policy proposal.

Prescribed Texts

  • G Esping-Andersen, The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism. 1990.


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Email Enquiries:          Course_Information@registrar.unimelb.edu.au