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What is the configuration of institutions and policies most conducive to human flourishing? The historical and comparative evidence from the world's rich democratic countries suggests that the answer is capitalism, a democratic political system, good elementary and secondary schooling, a big welfare state, employment-conducive public services, and moderate regulation of product and labor markets. This set of policies and institutions, which sociologist Lane Kenworthycalls social democratic capitalism, improves living standards for the least well-off, enhances economic security, and very likely boosts equality of opportunity. And it does so without sacrificing the many other things we want in a good society, from liberty to economic growth and much more. Whilethe Nordic nations have been social democratic capitalism's chief practitioners, there is good reason to think other affluent countries, including the United States, will move in this direction in coming decades.
List of contents
- 1. Sources of Successful Societies
- Part 1: Social Democratic Capitalism
- 2. Social Democratic Capitalism and the Good Society
- 3. Is Its Success Generalizable?
- 4. Is There an Attractive Small-Government Alternative?
- 5. Why Not a Basic Income?
- Part 2: Social Democratic America
- 6. America Is Underachieving
- 7. A Better America
- 8. How to Get There
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- References
- Index
About the author
Lane Kenworthy is Professor of sociology and Yankelovich Chair in Social Thought at the University of California-San Diego. He is the author of The Good Society (thegoodsociety.net), How Big Should Our Government Be? (with Jon Bakija, Peter Lindert, and Jeff Madrick), Social Democratic America, Progress for the Poor, Jobs with Equality, Egalitarian Capitalism, and In Search of National Economic Success.
Summary
This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. It is free to read at Oxford Scholarship Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations.
What configuration of institutions and policies is most conducive to human flourishing? The historical and comparative evidence suggests that the answer is social democratic capitalism - a democratic political system, a capitalist economy, good elementary and secondary schooling, a big welfare state, pro-employment public services, and moderate regulation of product and labor markets.
In Social Democratic Capitalism, Lane Kenworthy shows that this system improves living standards for the least well-off, enhances economic security, and boosts equality of opportunity. And it does so without sacrificing other things we want in a good society, from liberty to economic growth to health and happiness. Its chief practitioners have been the Nordic nations. The Nordics have gone farther than other rich democratic countries in coupling a big welfare state with public services that promote high employment and modest product- and labor-market regulations. Many believe this system isn't transferable beyond Scandinavia, but Kenworthy shows that social democratic capitalism and its successes can be replicated in other affluent nations, including the United States.
Today, the U.S. lags behind other countries in economic security, opportunity, and shared prosperity. If the U.S. were to expand its existing social programs and add some additional ones, many ordinary Americans would have better lives. Kenworthy argues that, despite formidable political obstacles, the U.S. is likely to move toward social democratic capitalism in coming decades. As a country gets richer, he explains, it becomes more willing to spend more in order to safeguard against risk and enhance fairness. With social democratic capitalism as his blueprint, he lays out a detailed policy agenda that could alleviate many of America's problems.
Additional text
Careful, well argued, and attuned to competing arguments, this is public-facing social science at its best.
