In the last 10 years, ‘peripheral’ welfare states in Asia, Latin America and South Africa entered into the focus of the international research agenda. Long neglected, many of these states developed modern welfare state policies and structures at the same time as most European countries. The contributions in this volume share a perspective on welfare regimes which challenges underlying Eurocentric assumptions and shows a keen interest in deconstructing actors, power constellations and ideas which shape welfare trajectories. Analytically, the concrete design of welfare states reflects political and social power relations which are embedded in the international political economy, formal and informal political institutions and state structures. The empirical focus is on the emerging ‘semi-peripheries’ where a considerable expansion of redistributive policies seems to be both empowering and patronising hitherto excluded groups.