Since the late 1990s, new strategies concerning the role and shape of welfare states have been formulated, many of which are guided by a logic of social investment. This book maps out this new perspective and assesses both its achievements and shortcomings. In doing so, it provides a critical analysis of social investment ideas and policies and opens up for discussion many of Europe’s most pressing concerns—such as an aging population, the current economic crisis, and environmental issues— and whether social investment can provide adequate responses to these challenges. (Résumé éditeur)