Reform of Bismarckian Pension Systems : A Comparison of Pension Politics in Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Sweden

Intro -- Table of Contents -- List of Tables/List of Figures -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- 1 The Need for Pension Reform:A Problem-Oriented Perspective -- 1.1 Public pension arrangements under adaptational pressures -- 1.2 Specific vulnerabilities of Bismarckian pension systems -- 1.3 Options for reform -- 1.4 Varying degrees in the need for adjustment -- 2 An Empirical Overview of Policy Change in Bismarckian Pension Regimes -- 3 The Politics of Pension Reform:An Actor-Centred Explanatory Framework -- 3.1 Social policymaking in an era of retrenchment:A review of theoretical approaches -- 3.2 The concept of actor-centred institutionalism -- 3.3 The politics of pension reform -- 3.4 Summary of the theoretical framework -- 4 Sweden:Policy-Oriented Bargaining -- 5 Italy:Corporatist Concertation in the Shadow of EMU -- 6 Germany:From Consensus To Conflict -- 7 Austria:Reform Blockage by the Trade Unions -- 8 France:Adverse Prerequisites for a Pension Consensus -- 9 Conclusion -- Appendix I Summary Description of Retirement Systems (1986) -- Appendix II Chronology of National Pension Reforms -- Appendix III Glossary of Terms -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index.