The politics of health care: lessons for welfare state research

Health care provision is one of the most central tasks of the welfare state. It is also one of the most politically sensitive and controversial tasks because of the importance voters attribute to high-quality health care. Drawing on extant theories of the welfare state, this article outlines the contours of the politics of health care in Western Europe. The area exhibits some features pertaining to both the demand for and supply of health care, which creates a unique landscape of political conflict. This is visible in Denmark, Germany, and the UK; three cases studied in the article that represent distinct welfare regimes.