conomics of the Welfare State discusses the different parts of the welfare system,in particular, cash benefits, the health service and education. The text argues that the welfare state exists not just to help the underprivileged, but also for efficiency reasons in areas where private markets would be inefficient or would not exist at all. The book has a separate chapter on the economics of higher education and it contains increased references to developments in the EU. Also included are a number of largely forward looking topics: - extended discussion of insurance to cover disability and long-term care - challenges to the welfare state including demographic change, globalization, changes in family structure and changes in the structure of jobs - debates about the welfare state Suitable for students of both economics related disciplines, the book encourages greater accessibility for students and contains a non-technical appendix in every chapter, diagrams, additional readings, worked examples and end of chapter discussion questions. ONLINE RESOURCE CENTRE Includes PowerPoint slides, web links and further reading.