The Policy Response to Factory Closings: A Comparison of the United States, Sweden, and France

As the severity of the recent recession mounted so did the debate over what to do about it. Three basic options for policy are being promoted: conservative free-market, liberal industrial, and social welfare. Though the first of these has dominated in the United States, France has relied on an industrial policy, while Sweden has adopted a social welfare emphasis. In comparing the experiences of these three countries it becomes clear that an …