POLITICAL-PARTIES AND PUBLIC PENSIONS - A QUANTITATIVE-ANALYSIS

This article analyses pooled time series and cross-sections data for p ension expenditure in advanced industrial democracies from 1958 to 198 6, and cross-sectional data for pension quality and the distributive e ffect of pensions for 1980. Contrary to previous studies, it demonstra tes significant effects of the party political composition of governme nts; both Christian democratic and social democratic incumbency are po sitively associated with pension expenditure. Only social democratic i ncumbency is associated with pension quality and less inequality and p overty among the elderly. Aspects of state structure which facilitate access of relatively small groups to the policy-making process are neg atively associated with quality of pensions and their distributive eff ects. The article explains the discrepancies between this and earlier studies, and it explores the reasons for the differences in the determ inants of pension expenditure and those of overall welfare state expen diture.