Jennifer Shore Libri

It's impossible to ignore Vince Novak.At school, he's all anyone can talk about-speculating the reason for his transfer to our school, celebrating what a win it is to have a future soccer star on our team, or gushing over just how tall, dark, and handsome he is. And when I'm home, my parents talk about him in hushed, angry whispers, fearful that he's going to obliterate my brother's records and dampen his legacy.I try my best to avoid him at all costs, hiding from him and the rest of the world behind my camera lens, but my best laid plans-and photos-are nearly ruined when my tangible disinterest in his existence intrigues him.The more time we spend together, I'm reluctantly drawn toward him, uncovering the little flaws beneath the layers of perfection he doesn't let anyone else see.

This book examines the ways in which the welfare state impacts levels and distributions of political participation and democratic support in Western democracies. Going beyond the traditional contextual accounts of political behaviour, which primarily focus on political institutions or the socio-economic climate, this book looks specifically at the impact of public policy on a variety of political behaviours and attitudes. Drawing on the theoretical insights from the policy feedback approach, the author argues and empirically demonstrates that generous social policy offerings can not only foster democratic citizenship by promoting a more inclusive political culture, but are most beneficial to citizens who are otherwise excluded from political life in many other societies. This book will appeal most to scholars in the fields of political science and sociology who are especially interested in the welfare state, public policy, political sociology, and inequality.