Varieties of Equality in European Welfare States

In this forward-thinking book, Davide Orsitto reframes our understanding of equality in democratic Europe, tracing the idea from abstract concept to theoretical and practical politics and policy. Adopting a multi-disciplinary approach, he analyzes equality through economic, political and cultural lenses, to understand different countries’ unique interpretation of the principle.

Building on current research on equality as both a principle and policy objective, Orsitto proposes a new approach to understanding and categorizing the industrialized democracies in Europe’s welfare states. Presenting a novel methodology to measure political and cultural inclinations, the book outlines the extent to which states are committed to income and wealth transfers, as well as the efficiency of redistributive policies. Varieties of Equality in European Welfare States concludes by exploring how changes in redistributive policies are influenced by political preferences and cultural spheres.



This innovative book is an invaluable resource for students and academics specializing in sociology, social policy, public policy, politics, economics, epistemology and anthropology. It will also be of interest to practitioners and policymakers operating in the political sphere.