EMPLOYMENT POLICY IN ADVANCED WELFARE STATES: RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EGALITARIAN GOALS AND POLICY USE (COMPARATIVE, PUBLIC, PLANNING, POLITICAL-ECONOMIC)

This study explores the potentials of using publicly funded employment policy to increase economic, social and political equality in advanced capitalist countries. To do this, employment policy choices, and policy goals are examined within the context of various societies. The following specific questions are addressed: (1) What employment policy techniques and what policy goals, have been chosen since the 1930's? (2) How do national employment policy choices relate to national political-economic ideologies? (3) To what extent are each of the employment policy techniques intended to promote greater equality? (4) How do particular ideological perspectives and structural factors promote or constrain the achievement of intended employment policy goals?;Drawing on literature which analyzes and compares the political-economies of major welfare states, the primary employment-related goals, and the employment choices of three "ideal types" of welfare states--the market-oriented, liberal and social welfare state--are identified. The degree to which each employment policy is intended to distribute particular economic, social and political resources is then assessed, using measurement techniques devised by the author. The societal characteristics which appear to cluster with emphasis on egalitarian directed policy choices are identified.;The results of the study confirm that "social welfare" states use more employment policies ranked high in egalitarian intention. Liberal welfare states use these policies less, and market-oriented states use them least. The conclusion is that national emphasis on egalitarian employment policies is most highly associated with characteristics of social welfare states. However, the evidence shows that, even in a favorable socio-political context, certain economic factors may constrain the achievement of egalitarian policy goals. Therefore, if these goals are to be achieved, the presence of both the associated socio-political factors, and the necessary economic factors appear to be required.;The methodology used is both descriptive and analytic. First, the major employment policy techniques developed by the United States and selected Western European countries are inventoried and described. Each technique then is categorized according to its intended goals, as interpreted from legislative documents, policy statements and policy evaluations. This taxonomy provides a basis for analyzing primary employment-related objectives of countries.