What are the characteristics of the Mediterranean welfare state and Essay

What are the characteristics of the Mediterranean welfare state and what particular challenges do they face (Politics) - Essay Example Such a model of governance has been applied in varying degrees and forms throughout the world; however, the largest concentration of these has been noted within the continent of Europe. As a function of the horrors of the Second World War and a long history of social activism, many nations within the European model is the most developed form of the welfare state in existence in the world today. Although it may be simple and concise to simply lump all of these welfare states in together as a means of better understanding their core components and the ways in which they interact within the lives of their citizens, such an approach would necessarily miss many of the nuances that different cultures that and economic realities have with respect to the way the welfare state itself is exhibited. As a function of this, the following brief analysis will seek to consider the ways in which the so-called â€Å"Mediterranean Welfare states† differ from those that are in place throughout mu ch of the rest of Europe and indeed throughout the rest of the world. In this way, it is the hope of this author that such a level of analysis will help the reader to come to a better understanding of the social and economic externalities that define the way that these respective governments interact with their shareholders (Bover, 2011). Moreover, as a function of this level of critique and review, the author will also seek to provide a level of critique with regards to the challenges that such systems face as a function of the policies and actions that define them. Accordingly, such a report will include a high degree of economic analysis and consideration as a means of trying to understand the ways in which the central governments of these nations seek to divide and redistribute wealth while at the same time balancing job creation, FDI, and labour demands that define the