Includes bibliographical references (pages 227-290) and index.

Online version licensed for access by U. of T. users.

"France is in crisis. In this account, Timothy Smith argues that the French economic and social model is collapsing inward on itself, the result of good intentions, bad policies, and vested interests who employ the rhetoric of "solidarity" to prevent change. French social policy is not redistributive; indeed, Smith argues, the majority of "social" spending serves to strengthen existing inequalities. He shows how politicians, intellectuals, and labor leaders have invoked the specter of "globalization" to explain homegrown problems and delay reform. Professor Smith makes frequent comparisons with the USA, the UK, Canada, Scandinavia, Germany, and the Netherlands, and argues that change need not follow the inegalitarian US or British paths but instead can lead to a more equal society. This is an unusual blend of history, policy analysis, economics, and political commentary and will be indispensable reading for anyone seeking to understand France's current malaise."--Jacket.

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