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Reposted by Ewan Robertson

Political Studies @polstudies.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

IN NEW ISSUE: Do ideas or political demand drive welfare reform? @ewanrobo.bsky.social shows how ideational power, not voter pressure, shaped in-work benefits in the UK and France. Read OPEN ACCESS: buff.ly/uE45U44 @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social #polsky #polsci

Abstract
In recent decades, numerous welfare states have implemented in-work benefits to ‘make work pay’ and tackle in-work poverty. To explain the adoption and institutionalisation of this instrument, studies tend to emphasise either socio-political demand or ideational influences as motivators of policy decisions. However, the relative importance of these causal logics, and the relationship between them, remains ambiguous. To advance this debate, this article examines in-work benefit reforms in two welfare states: France and the United Kingdom. Examining reforms from the late 1990s to the 2010s, findings suggest that policy change and convergence were driven by an ideational rather than a demand-based logic. Reforms were more strongly motivated by the shared interpretive frameworks of policymakers and their instrumental use of ideas (ideational power) rather than the demands of voters and organised interests. This finding on the specific drivers of in-work benefits contributes wider insights into the roles of ideas in public policy.

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Reposted by Ewan Robertson

Political Studies @polstudies.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

buff.ly

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Delighted to have published a book chapter on Political Elites, Ideas and Public Policy! The chapter takes stock of how ideologies and ideational transmission shape policy stability and change, and forms part of the Routledge Handbook of Ideology Analysis. www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edi...

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

This Wednesday 29 April in London I'm discussing my new book as part of a panel looking at employment and welfare policy in Britain and internationally. The event is free, hosted at the Resolution Foundation and organised by the SPA Employment Policy Group. You can sign-up on EventBrite below:

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

📣New article out on which I'm a co-author together with other members of the @spaemploysocsec.bsky.social group. We analyse employment and social security reforms in UK Labour’s first year in office, finding it as been defined more by constraints than change. ⬇️ www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

cambridge.org

Get Britain Working? Continuity and Change in Labour’s Post-2024 Welfare and Employment Strategy | Social Policy and Society | Cambridge Core

Get Britain Working? Continuity and Change in Labour’s Post-2024 Welfare and Employment Strategy

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Reposted by Ewan Robertson

Political Studies @polstudies.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Do ideas or political demand drive welfare reform? @ewanrobo.bsky.social shows how ideational power, not voter pressure, shaped in-work benefits in the UK and France. Read OPEN ACCESS: buff.ly/D2DHwem @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social @uoypolitics.bsky.social @sagepub.com #polsky #polsci

buff.ly

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

🎉I’m delighted to announce the publication of my book! 🎉 “𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐏𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧-𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐦” link.springer.com/book/10.1007... This book is the final milestone from my PhD and I hope is useful to scholarly debate.

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

I greatly enjoyed presenting my work at the PSA Parliaments conference at the University of York last week. It was nice to make new contacts and learn about the latest research in the field. Thanks to @psa-parliaments.bsky.social for the organisation and the photo! ⬇️

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Reposted by Ewan Robertson

PSA Parliaments @psa-parliaments.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

➡️ @ewanrobo.bsky.social from @uoe-sps.bsky.social is now presenting his paper on stakeholder patterns in committees of the Spanish and Catalan parliaments 💥 Ewan works within the SPARK project: www.project-spark.net #PSAParl25

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Reposted by Ewan Robertson

Political Studies @polstudies.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

Do ideas or political demand drive welfare reform? @ewanrobo.bsky.social shows how ideational power, not voter pressure, shaped in-work benefits in the UK and France. Read OPEN ACCESS: buff.ly/1IN07tN @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social @uoypolitics.bsky.social @sagepub.com #polsky #polsci

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

Nice little boost to my article published this year in @polstudies.bsky.social on the role of ideas and ideational power in driving working-age social security reform in the UK and France ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

I had a wonderful time at the Spanish Social Policy Network conference (REPS) at the Universidad de la Rioja. I was able to (re)connect with colleagues from the study of social policy in Spain, and share initial results from spark.net on committee witnesses in the Spanish and Catalan parliaments.

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Reposted by Ewan Robertson

Marc Geddes @marcgeddes.uk · 30/09/2025

🚨 Job Opportunity! 🚨 Applications are now open for a new 2.5-year postdoc at @edinburghpir.bsky.social to examine how parliaments gather, analyse and use different types of knowledge - see the full job listing here: elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (SPARK)

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with experience in the politics of the UK, Scottish, German or Bavarian parliaments to join the UKRI-funded research project, ‘Studying Parliaments an...

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

❗Job Opportunity❗ Postdoc on Studying Parliaments and the Role of Knowledge (SPARK), University of Edinburgh. 2.5 year post, examining your choice of parliaments between our UK and German country cases. Apply by 29th October: elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

📣Call for Papers: Studying Parliaments and the Role of Knowledge. We are launching a CFP for an edited collection and/or special issue on the topic of parliaments and knowledge. Get in touch with any queries! Abstract deadline: 3 November 2025. ▶️ www.project-spark.net/post/call-fo...

project-spark.net

Call for Papers: Studying Parliaments and the Role of Knowledge

Parliaments play fundamental democratic functions including political representation, legitimation of decision-making, and accountability of executive actors. Yet parliaments are also central in media...

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

A reminder that Political Studies published my article explaining in-work benefit reforms in the UK and France. My argument on the role of policymakers' ideas and use of ideational power may be of interest to those who study the role of ideas in public policy. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

journals.sagepub.com

Ideational Power or Political Demand? Tracing the Logics of In-Work Benefit Reforms in France and the United Kingdom - Ewan Robertson, 2025

In recent decades, numerous welfare states have implemented in-work benefits to ‘make work pay’ and tackle in-work poverty. To explain the adoption and institut...

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

It was wonderful to meet with Michele Goulart Massuchin and Eva Campos from the Mediaflows project while at the Complutense Madrid. Lots of potential to link studies of knowledge and communications in parliaments! Find out about SPARK: www.project-spark.net @marcgeddes.uk

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

New publication in Political Studies – the first based on my PhD research! Are policymakers more responsive to their own ideas or to external social demands when deciding upon policy action? I examine this question in relation to in-work benefits in the United Kingdom and France. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

I had a wonderful time at the ECPR @sgparliaments.bsky.social conf at the University of Barcelona. It was great to make connections and present data on committee witnesses in the Spanish and Catalan legislatures. A highlight was also the opportunity to visit the Catalan parliament!

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

Conocer la hermosura de Segovia provincia y la Sierra de Guadarrama en invierno ha sido una experiencia muy bonita durante los últimos meses.

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

I enjoyed presenting the SPARK research project on parliaments and knowledge to Spanish Congress of Deputies’ science and technology advice office (Oficina C) yesterday. Also fascinating to learn about the work of Oficina C and legislative advice in Spain. About SPARK: www.project-spark.net

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Get your nominations in for the Social Policy Association Awards! Check out categories and criteria below, deadline is 3rd March ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

This looks like a great event taking place next month in Edinburgh ⬇️

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

If anyone has a room going from March to May in Edinburgh, my friend Llorenç Soler is looking!

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

Abstract and symposia submissions are open for the SPA-EASP 2025 Joint Annual Conference!

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Se abre la convocatoria de contribuciones al Congreso de la Red Española de Política Social en Logroño, 22-24 de Octubre de 2025 ⬇️⬇️⬇️

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Reposted by Ewan Robertson

Ellen Stewart @profellenstu.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

This useful list is up to 80 people now, but room for plenty more. For avoidance of doubt I’m applying no entrance criteria beyond ‘doesn’t look like a bot.’ Do please recommend other folk as well as letting me know if you’d like to be added. go.bsky.app/CDRvpoJ

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

The UK Social Policy Association is now on BlueSky - follow below or here: bsky.app/profile/soci...

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 25/11/2024

I'd really recommend this workshop for ECRs and doctoral researchers working on comparative social and public policy (after attending last year's edition). Submit an abstract by 2 February and come to Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University on 8-9 May 2025! ⬇️

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Reposted by Ewan Robertson

David Brady @davebrady72.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Sad to hear the brilliant and great Walter Korpi passed. Korpi was on a very short list of my all time favorite political economic theorists. Almost all my work is fundamentally based on power resources theory. His work on the welfare state is pivotal and central to so many fields.

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

👏I really enjoyed this workshop on Knowledge and Parliaments hosted by the SPARK project at the University of Edinburgh. A great learning process, opportunity to meet new researchers and hear about top studies in the field. Lots more to come! ⬇️⬇️⬇️ www.project-spark.net/post/spark-h...

project-spark.net

SPARK Hosts International Workshop on Knowledge and Parliaments

On 14-15 October, SPARK welcomed 20 researchers from across Europe and hosted a workshop to address the theme of the relationship between knowledge and parliaments.The workshop, which coincided with t...

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

Interested in social policy and have experience with digital comms? Check out this work opportunity with Cambridge University Press. The position is an estimated 25 hours per month, freelance, and has no residency requirements. Deadline to apply is 30th November: www.cambridge.org/core/societi...

cambridge.org

Call for Media Editor

Welcome to Cambridge Core

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 06/09/2024

🚨Career update!🚨 From September I am a postdoc researcher on the SPARK project, based in Politics & IR @EdinburghUni. I examine the Spanish and Catalan parliaments via 3 policy areas, so please get in touch if interested! Project info: marcgeddes.uk/spark

marcgeddes.uk

SPARK — Dr Marc Geddes

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Ewan Robertson @ewanrobo.bsky.social · 14/11/2023

The new Labour Market Policy in Advanced Democracies handbook is now out! As part of this, myself & Joan Abbas have a chapter entitled "The Rise of In-Work Benefits: Policy, Politics and Evaluation" - my first IWB-related publication: www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/han...

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