Social Insurance

There's a nice NY Times profile of Dani Rodrik, highlighting the need for social insurance to promote political support for free trade, at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/30/business/worldbusiness/30trade.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1 (login required).

Rodrik, Jacob Hacker and others are quoted on the need for greater social insurance programs.  This is similar to the recent burst of enthusiasm for the Danish model:  social insurance programs providing the confidence to induce political support for liberalization.  Rodrik thinks we've had enough liberalization for now.