Two sides of the same coin? Left-wing governments and labour unions as determinants of public spending

摘要

The social policy literature normally perceives left-wing governments and labour unions as pursuing the same policies, namely generous social protection. This paper investigates whether or not this is accurate. Due to their different criteria of organizational success, it argues that unions and left-wing governments prioritize social programmes differently. Unions give priority to labour market-related programmes like unemployment protection; left-wing governments prioritize family services and old-age pensions. The paper thereby adds considerable nuance to the literature on labour movements and the welfare state.