Rural population and social security in Brazil: An analysis with emphasis on constitutional changes

This paper analyses the situation of the Brazilian rural population with respect to social insurance and social assistance at two points in time: 1988 and 1998. The 1988 Constitution defined new rules with regard to eligibility conditions and benefit values for the rural population. But it was only in July 1991, with Law 8213, that these changes were implemented. We compare — by gender and individual age — activity rates and probability of receiving benefits, before and after the changes in legislation. We also compare, at these two points in time, family structure and the importance of the income of older people in the family budget. The analysis makes clear the positive impact brought by the legislation on the coverage and per capita family income of those families with older members in rural Brazil, bringing about some degree of poverty alleviation, as well as bridging the gender gap with respect to access to benefits. In contrast to what occurs in other Latin American countries, nowadays the Brazilian rural population has almost universal access to social security benefits, not only at family level but also in individual terms.     

Reforming social security in economies in transition: Problems and policies in the former Soviet Republic of Moldova

In the Republic of Moldova, as in other former Soviet republics, a great deal of pressure has been put on the social security system by the removal of general consumer subsidies and their replacement with targeted compensation payments (assistance). The growth of assistance needs has made it difficult to reform earnings-related pension provision along "insurance" lines. There have also been adverse developments in the labour market. Large-scale open unemployment has not emerged, but insurance contributions are not being paid. Some of the measures which have been adopted to deal with the resulting financial crisis are counterproductive for the development of a social security system compatible with a market economy.     

China: developmentalism and social security

China began its social security reform when the market-oriented economy was first promoted in the late 1970s. Initiatives have been taken to replace the employer-based labour insurance model with a largely social insurance model. However, it is a mistake to argue that China is pursuing a neo-liberal agenda in its social initiatives. Instead, the state has played a major role in the process. Based on a developmental analysis, it is argued that the direction of change is generally encouraging. The emerging social insurance programme has the following advantages: it widens coverage, facilitates economic development, seeks a minimum entitlement, fosters social integration, and enhances individual participation and responsibility. The creation of an economically and socially viable social insurance programme will support the economic development of the country in the twenty-first century.     

Governance of social security regimes: Trends in Senegal

The main aim of this article is to analyse the Senegalese experience in the management of social security institutions. The keyword which occurs and reoccurs is autonomy. Except for Côte d'Ivoire, which has experimented with the same system since 2000, the Senegalese experience is unique in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa. The article reviews the institutional pluralism which is another unique feature of the Senegalese situation, the genuine autonomy of management which exists and its results, illustrated by the example of the Social Security Fund. The results obtained in terms of financial stability, better quality of service and the installation of an efficient information system prove that this is the way of the future. Finally, the paper highlights the distribution of powers between the various bodies of the Fund.     

European schemes of social assistance: an empirical analysis of set-ups and distributive impacts

This article analyses the distributive impacts of various statutory and institutional settings of European schemes of social assistance. For this purpose, two sets of classifications of European schemes of social assistance are introduced, which classify the systems according to their level and statutory settings and according to their degree of centralisation, respectively. Subsequently, the distributive impacts of seven selected EU systems are calculated on the basis of Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) data and their relationship to class assignment is investigated. We find that a high share of social assistance recipients in the population concurs with better distributive effectiveness, while a higher social assistance budget or higher benefit levels do not necessarily yield a better performance. Various forms of targeting seem to enhance distributive efficiency. Concerning centralisation, the results do not show that a certain degree of centralisation yields better results with regard to distributive effectiveness or efficiency.     

Insurance demand and social comparison: An experimental analysis

This paper analyzes whether social comparison can explain the low take-up of disaster insurance usually reported in field studies. We argue that risks in the case of disasters are highly correlated between subjects whereas risks for which high insurance take-up can be observed (e.g. extended warranties or cell phone insurance) are typically idiosyncratic. We set up a simple model with social reference points and show that in the presence of inequality aversion social comparison makes insurance indeed less attractive if risks are correlated. In addition we conducted a simple experiment which confirms these theoretical results. The average willingness to pay for insurance is significantly higher for idiosyncratic than for correlated risks.     

Income inequality and health outcomes in the United States: An empirical analysis

A growing body of research suggests a relationship between health and income inequality. This study specifically analyzes the correlation between income inequality, measured by state-level Gini coefficients from the American Community Survey (ACS), and individual behavioral, physical, and mental health outcomes from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for 2006 through 2014. After controlling for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, health insurance status, year trends, and state fixed effects, income inequality was found to have significant relationships with behavioral, physical, and mental health outcomes, including heavy drinking, obesity, exercise, diabetes, heart attack, heart disease, physical and mental health problems, and depression, and often the impact on low-income individuals is slightly smaller than on the high-income group. The research suggests that economic policies to address the rising income inequality in the United States might serve to also address some of our nation’s most troubling health statistics.     

社会保障制度改革与政治稳定:西方的经验分析

西方社会保障制度不仅与经济利益紧密相关,而且与政治斗争结伴而来,逐渐成为资本主义政府的一项基本功能,成为资本主义政党政治的一个主要内容,对稳定西方资产阶级统治和国家政权发挥了重要的政治功能.20世纪70年代中期以后,西方各国纷纷改革社会保障制度.由于社会保障制度具有刚性和权威性,甚至已经和西方政治制度融为一体,社会保障政策成了政治体制中不可或缺的组成部分,因此,社会保障制度的改革牵涉到公众的既得利益,要经过复杂的政治程序和相当程度的公民认同,必须谨慎地加以推进.     

Recent developments in China's social security reforms

China is one of the few developing countries which have managed to establish a comprehensive social security system encompassing social insurance (for pension, medical care, unemployment, employment injury and maternity), social assistance and a housing provident fund. The past two decades have witnessed a continuous process of reform in the Chinese social security system. This article highlights the latest developments in each of the schemes and offers some insights into the problems confronting the system and the prospects for the reform.     

New conditionality in Australian social security policy

The past two decades have witnessed the application of new forms of conditionality to Australian social security policy. This paper argues that a distinctive feature has been the attempt to link receipt of government benefits to parental behaviour in order to address concerns about the welfare of children. With a view to providing a framework that can help to inform debates regarding the merits of these new forms of conditionality, this paper outlines the historical antecedents and philosophical framework of new conditionality. The paper also examines three pertinent Australian social security initiatives: the Maternity Immunisation Allowance, the Improving School Enrolment and Attendance through Welfare Reform Measure, and Compulsory Income Management. The paper concludes with some consideration of the potential pitfalls of new conditionality.     

Modernizing social security: Changing responsibilities and individual choice

Social security needs to be reformed to make it sustainable. We argue that it is necessary to consider not only system characteristics (such as the level and duration of benefits, insured population), but also the division of responsibilities. Social security is not solely a state matter; firms, trade unions, industrial sectors and the individual play a role as well. As social risks are to some extent endogenous, insurance ought to be taken care of at the level at which the risk can be most directly influenced in order to improve efficiency. This may partly take place within the public system, for example through risk rating. Alternatives would include shifting from collective to more individual arrangements, prominent examples being multipillar systems and savings accounts. Multipillar systems mainly imply a new division of responsibilities, taking the endogeneity of social risks and the implications of modern life cycles into account. At the same time they offer more individual choice. Savings accounts reduce moral hazard without affecting individual choice. Either way, in reforming social security a balance needs to be found between competing goals or principles: between equity and efficiency, between solidarity and freedom of choice, between the risks of moral hazard and adverse selection. This choice is difficult because social security is not only about "security". It is an important part of the way we organize our society and embodies many of society's values.     

Reforming China's social security system: Facts and perspectives

This article overviews the social security reform started shortly after the commencement of the general economic system restructuring in China in 1978. The reform is remarkable not only for its scale in terms of population covered, territory affected and comprehensiveness sought, but also for the difficulties confronted, progress made and confidence achieved. Although there is still a long way to go to fulfil its ambitious ultimate objectives, 14 years of reforming exercises have built up a solid basis for a sound social protection system to be gradually extended to the non-covered population. China now can share its experience with other nations in a similar situation.