Esping-Andersen's "Three World of Welfare Capitalism" has been the most influential contribution of recent years to the comparative welfare state research literature. According to Esping-Andersen, the welfare state basically comes in three variants: as a social-democratic, a conservative, or as...

It has been recognized since the publication of Esping-Andersen's Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism that the advanced Western welfare state comes in-at least-three variants: as a Nordic social-democratic regime, a conservative regime on the European continent or as a liberal welfare state...