Welfare State Reform in Southern Europeanalyses policies against poverty and social exclusion in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece in the wider framework of welfare state reform in these countries, focusing especially on developments since the 1990s.The specific focus is on innovations, experiments and debates relating to the guarantee of a minimum income to individuals and households lacking sufficient resources. The chapters on Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece are organized around a common structure and include discussion of:*Welfare state development in an historical perspective*Poverty trends and anti-poverty policies*Debates and initiatives in the field of minimum income.The book includes a comparative introduction, which highlights the features of South European welfare states and an additional chapter illustrates developments occurring in the countries of Eastern and South Eastern Europe, discussing to what extent the experience of Southern Europe can be a useful point of reference for these countries.This book will interest students and researchers in the field of welfare states and public policy. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.