The Left Divided

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Why do some countries establish robust social protection systems while others leave workers vulnerable to market forces? Over the past thirty years, scholars have explored how hegemonic social democratic parties and allied trade unions have shaped welfare capitalism. A key finding in comparative political economy is that the more political resources the left controls, the more likely a country is to develop a generous, universal social protection system. However, The Left Divided highlights the paradox that few countries meet the conditions identified by mainstream scholarship for creating such welfare states. Outside northern Europe, divisions within the left—among labor movements, left parties, and between them—are prevalent. This book emphasizes the significant impact of intra-left divisions on social protection development. It argues that the strength and stance of the far left are crucial yet often overlooked factors influencing social protection outcomes. The author presents a framework to differentiate between various left movements and examines how resource distribution within the left affects party strategies for expanding social protection in unexpected ways. Through in-depth case studies of Iberia and cross-national analyses of OECD countries, the book illustrates the counterintuitive effects of far-left political resource control.