The welfare state as piggy bank [[electronic resource] ] : information, risk, uncertainty, and the role of the state / / Nicholas Barr

• Record Nr.: UNINA9910465737503321
• Autore: Barr N. A
• Pubbl/distr/stampa: Oxford ; ; New York, : Oxford University Press, 2001
• ISBN: 9786611944186; 0-19-152989-3; 1-281-94418-1
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (316 p.)
• Disciplina: 330.12/6
• Soggetti: Welfare economics; Welfare state; Risk; Uncertainty; Electronic books.
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Note generali: Description based upon print version of record.
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references (p. [273]-286) and index.
• Nota di contenuto: Contents; List of Tables; List of Figures; 1. Introduction; 1. Core Arguments; 2. The Welfare State and its Objectives; 3. Organization of the Book; Part 1. Economic Theory; 2. The Market and Information; 1. The Welfare State with Perfect Information; 2. Imperfect Information in the Goods Market; 3. Imperfect Information in Insurance Markets; 4. Implications; Part 2. Insurance; Introduction to Part 2; 3. The Mirage of Private Unemployment Insurance; 1. Objectives; 2. Information Problems; 3. Operational Problems; 4. Conclusions; 4. Problems with Medical Insurance; 1. Objectives; 2. Information Problems 3. Funding Health Care: The Options; 4. Conclusions; 5. Twenty-First-Century Insurance Issues; 1. Genetic Screening; 2. Long-Term-Care Insurance; Part 3. Pensions; Introduction to Part 3; 6. The Economics of Pensions; 1. Objectives; 2. The Centrality of Output; 3. Uncertainty and Risk; 4. Information Problems; 7. Misleading Guides to Pension Design; 1. Macroeconomic Mythology; 2. Myths about Pension Design; 3. The Role of Government; 8. Pension Design: The Options; 1. Lessons from Economic Theory; 2. Essential ; Elements in Pension Reform; 3. Policy Choices; 4. Conclusions 9. Twenty-First-Century Pensions Issues; 1. Population Ageing: Are Pensions Affordable?; 2. Portable Pensions: The Welfare State as Snail Shell; Part 4. Education; Introduction to Part 4; 10. Core Issues in the Economics of Education; 1. Objectives: What do we Mean by a 'Good' Education?; 2. Measuring the Benefits of Education; 3. What is the Efficient Level of Education Spending?; 11. Information Problems; 1. Information Problems in the Market for Education; 2. Information Problems, Risk and Uncertainty in Capital Markets; 12. Designing Student Loans; 1. Why Student Loans?; 2. Organizing Repayments: Mortgage-Type Schemes 3. Organizing Repayments: Income-Contingent Schemes; 4. Other Features of Student Loans; 13. Financing Higher Education: The Options; 1. Lessons from Economic Theory; 2. Lessons from International Experience; 3. Conclusions; 14. Twenty-First-Century Education Issues; 1. Private Funding; 2. Student Loans and International Labour Mobility; 3. Rationalizing the Funding of Tertiary Education; 4. Individual Learning Accounts; Part 5. The Welfare State in a Changing World; Introduction to Part 5; 15. The Welfare State in Post-Communist Countries; 1. The simple analytics of transition 2. Insurance: Assisting Labour-Market Adjustment; 3. Pensions; 4. Education; 16. The Welfare State in a Changing World; 1. Is the 'Crisis' a Crisis?; 2. A Continuing Welfare State; References; Index
• Sommario/riassunto: Barr argues that the welfare state exists for reasons additional to poverty relief, reasons arising out of pervasive problems of imperfect information, risk and uncertainty.