The Investment State Charting the Future of Social Policy

Social investment is a strategy that addresses neoliberal austerity by putting private capital to public purpose. An investment state serves as a sequel to the welfare state by maximizing capability, expanding employee benefits, implementing evidence-based policy, democratizing polity and commerce, and advancing social and institutional inclusion. The Investment State provides a template for future social policy, which can be adapted to cities, states, nations, and international trade agreements. It serves as a sequel to the author's previous book, The Dynamic Welfare State (OUP, 2016) -- which included a theory of welfare state decline -- by envisioning a new paradigm for social programs.

David Stoesz, PhD, MSW, is the Samuel Wurtzel Chair at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has published extensively about social policy in the U.S. and international development abroad. His 2005 book, Quixote's Ghost: The Right, the Liberati, and the Future of Social Policy, was awarded the Pro Humanitate Literary Award. More recent books include The Dynamic Welfare State and Pandora's Dilemma: Theories of Social Policy for the 21st Century.