Social Policy in Real Time

This paper examines social policy within the context of economic policy.  It describes how certain changes to fiscal and monetary policies in the 1970s and 1980s created a ‘debt crisis’ that, in turn, has led to significant cuts to social programs in the late 1980s and 1990s.  It considers some of the origins of the deficit/debt problem and examines the implications for social policy.  The paper argues the case for reforming social programs, and debating social policy more generally, within the context of ‘real time’ – i.e., taking into account current and future economic constraints and realities.

ISBN – 1-895796-09-1