Book excerpt: "Drawing on recent historical research, this book: reconsiders and challenges many long-held beliefs about the 'evolution' of social policy; presents a wide-ranging reappraisal of links between social theories and changes in social policy; pays particular attention to the importance of idealist social thought as an intellectual framework for understanding the 'welfare state'; and has a distinctive focus on the importance of ideas in the history of social policy." "The book provides a valuable framework that exposes many of the assumptions about the nature of 'welfare' and its future direction, making it important reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students, and researchers in the field of social policy."--BOOK JACKET.