Review
`excellent and timely' Sir Howard Davies, THES
`uses some quite straightforward and reader-friendly economic theory to support three simple contentions, but with quite far-reaching consequences' Sir Howard Davies, THES
`Barr's book can be strongly recommended to anyone with an interest in the development of social policy' Sir Howard Davies, THES
`The principal value of Nicholas Barr's excellent and timely book is to demonstrate that the welfare state "exists for reasons additional to and separate from poverty relief, reasons that arise out of pervasive problems of imperfect information, risk, and uncertainty".' Sir Howard Davies THES
`The Welfare State as Piggy Bank is not a personal manifesto of policy proposals in each area. But Barr does not shrink from reaching firm conclusions about those policies that appear to him to be clearly inferior or superior to the alternatives.' Sir Howard Davies THES
Product Description
Barr contends that the welfare state exists for reasons besides poverty relief, reasons arising out of pervasive problems of imperfect information, risk and uncertainty. As a result, he argues, the welfare state is here to stay, since 21st century developments don't address these additional reasons.