(LIS)2ER stream at ESPAnet 2020, Leuven
In context of the new (LIS)2ER project, Daniele Checchi, Petra Sauer, and Philippe Van Kerm host a stream on “Methodologies for comparative social policy analysis” at ESPAnet 2020 in Leuven.
Different countries pursue different policy goals with alternative policy instruments, and government turnover leads to changes in policy objectives and implementations over time within the same country. However, while there is a large literature describing patterns of inequality which takes a cross-country analysis of time variation, there is much less research on variations in policy packages (welfare policies, tax policies, labour market regulation, educational policies) and on their impact of inequality and poverty. One main reason lies in the absence of appropriate, consistently defined and comparable indicators of the policy stance with respect to specific dimensions. Take the United States as a point of comparison. A wealth of research exploits variations across States and over time to assess the impact of policy decisions on a wide range of dimensions; Hoynes and Patel’s (Journal of Human Resources, 2018) recent analysis of the Earned Income Tax Credit impact on inequality and poverty reduction is only one of many examples. Such research design is largely unequalled elsewhere around the globe. This is all the more regrettable given the increasingly recognized ‘American exceptionalism’ in policy preferences and income distributions. There is a crucial need for analysis of policy impacts in different demographic, economic, and institutional environments.
This stream invites papers which take novel approaches to comparative social policy analysis, using different methodologies and datasets to tackle the task to make “measurements” of policy frameworks amenable to empirical research. We particularly appreciate studies which contribute to our understanding of (the evolution) of different welfare models around the globe, and provide insights into which policy packages work to fight poverty inequality. We also welcome research which analyses the (causal) impact of policy changes onto several other social dimensions, such as education, labour market participation, employment, household formation, health or well-being.
For further practical information on the call for abstracts please click here.