At a time when the future of the welfare state is the object of heated debate in many European countries, this edited collection explores the relationship between this institution and social rights. Structured around the themes of the role of social rights in the historical development of the welfare state, the increasing impact of market imperatives on social rights, and the relationship between social rights and questions of (in)equality and social exclusion/inclusion, the essays explore the impact of transformations in the welfare state upon social rights and their underlying rationalities and logics.