Social Insurance Universalism After 1945

This paper discusses the contribution of international congresses and organizations to welfare debates and political decision making. It will in particular focus on the International Congress of Actuaries (ICA) and International Social Security Association (ISSA). Since the late 19th C., the ICA has been one of the key transnational scientific networks and forum regarding transfer of ideas, concept and models. It has not only been the main platform for debates among insurance mathematicians, but has also been heavily influenced by private insurance interests.

The ISSA envisioned a more focused study of specific social security topics within international actuarial networks. As a consequence the ISSA, which operated in close collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), started in 1950 to hold regular meetings which concentrated purely on Social Security.

The discussions and scientific contributions within these international forums highlight key developments and debates for post 1945 welfare policy. The paper analyses how international actuarial networks influenced national policy makers and thus shaped the development of national welfare systems. It examines in particular how technical discourses were used to shift potentially controversial political debates into a seemingly neutral sphere. Empirically, the article follows main debates on benefits indexation and on merits of pay as you go vs. funded solutions for old age pensions. It also examines in which way the perception of the notion of the «crisis» of the welfare state evolved within these epistemic communities.