ISSN:
1554-9658
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Economics
Notes:
Summary: Social Policy in the Italian Economy Favourable social and economic conditions constitute the essential framework for a stable development of savings. Saving in the form of insurance becomes advantageous for the individual, and private insurance can thus extend its activity, when social attitudes and the economic situation favour the propensity to save. If conditions change, the State can take over the coverage of risks through social insurance. By means of this institutions, an anti-cyclical policy can be pursued: the amount of social security contributions, for instance, can be increased during the expansion of the cycle and the amounts thus accumulated can be used to grant benefits during the recession period, when contributions can be fixed at a lower percentage of wages. Another type of policy can be pursued by government authorities: that of adjusting social security contributions to industrial profits, thereby directing the subsequent effects on economic growth. Inflation cab cause instability in decisional policies taken by private insurance companies. A solution to the unbalanced increase of costs can be found in index-linking. Life policies of this kind, for instance, cab be closely related to investments in houses, to be bought by the insured themselves in price-linked instalments. After a reference to present developments regarding risk instability and to possibilities of new forms of insurance, this paper considers the competition resulting from the opening of the EEC insurance markets as an opportunity for the Italian market to strengthen its structures.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02409808
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