'winner Take All' Politics in Europe?

Inequality is on the rise throughout the advanced industrial nations, with most OECD countries seeing in increase in income inequality over the past 20 years. In the US, the spectacular growth of top incomes and the stagnation of median earnings has triggered a lively academic and public debate, but in Europe the response to growing inequality has been slower to take off. This roundtable examines growing inequality in Europe through the lens of Hacker and Pierson’s concept of ‘Winner Take All’ politics. Participants will assess the applicability of Hacker and Pierson’s framework to the European context, focusing on the changes to political parties and labour organization, the growing role of finance capital as a political actor, and the evolution of policy in key areas affecting inequality: labour markets, the welfare state and financial markets. This roundtable will provide insights into the changing nature of the income distribution in Europe, looking beyond the impact of structural economic changes and focusing attention on the politics and policies producing increased inequality. The participants have published widely in the fields of labour markets, welfare politics, inequality, public opinion and the welfare state, political parties and elections, and economic and financial crises.