The introduction presents the rationale and the structure of the book, which explores socialist and post-socialist approaches to social policy, their implementation, and outcomes across different world regions. The studies included in this volume discuss the influence of critical junctures, specifically the introduction of socialism and its explicit or implicit abolition, including the rise and fall of the Soviet Union as a main sponsor of socialism. The chapters then concentrate on analysing the long-term social policy dynamics following these ruptures. Crucially, in addition to offering a broad overview and understanding of the diversity of socialist and post-socialist social policies, the book focuses on the generosity of social policies, which is understood as a combination of two dimensions: the inclusiveness of social policies and the scope of benefits they provide. The book is structured according to the different world regions that the chapters cover. Moreover, it adds a global-comparative view to put the experiences of socialist countries into perspective.