What Has Happened to the Quality of Life in the Advanced Industrialized Nations?

Edited by Edward N. Wolff, Professor of Economics, New York University, US

The contributors to this volume investigate to what extent welfare has increased in the United States over the postwar period and provide a rigorous examination of both conventional measures of the standard of living, as well as more inclusive indices.

The chapters cover such topics as: race, home ownership and family structure; the status of children; the consumer price index; a historical perspective on the standard of living; worker rights and labor strength in advanced economies. In addition, they explore two economic systems delivering the goods – the free enterprise system of the United States and the European social welfare state. They then present international comparisons and highlight the relative advantages and disadvantages of these two systems.

‘The book is a rich source of information.’
– Piet Keiser, International Journal of Social Welfare

‘Especially useful to scholars is the in-depth description of methodology relating to the measures of well-being, the nature of the data, and terminology. A valuable addition to economic, sociological, and public policy collections. Highly recommended.’
– H.I. Liebling, Choice