Income Taxes (Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Statutory federal income tax rate	35.00%
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations, Income Tax Reconciliation [Abstract]
Computed (expected) tax expense	$ 181,399	$ 211,157	$ 133,781
Tax-exempt investment income	(57,246)	(62,628)	(64,886)
Change in valuation allowance	(2,328)	102	(887)
Impact of lower foreign tax rates	(3,413)	(253)	(551)
State and local taxes	2,355	2,298	1,175
Other, net	2,783	3,063	4,518
Total expense (benefit)	$ 123,550	$ 153,739	$ 73,150

The domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable under enacted tax laws to the Company's pretax income from continuing operations for the period. The "statutory" tax rate is the regular tax rate if there are alternative tax systems.

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The sum of the current income tax expense or benefit and the deferred income tax expense or benefit pertaining to continuing operations.

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The portion of the difference between total income tax expense or benefit as reported in the Income Statement and the expected income tax expense or benefit computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations attributable to changes in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets in the period.

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The portion of the difference, between total income tax expense or benefit as reported in the Income Statement for the period and the expected income tax expense or benefit computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations, that is attributable to total foreign income tax expense or benefit. The foreign income tax expense or benefit difference represents the income tax expense or benefit at applicable domestic statutory income tax rates applied to foreign earnings or loss for the period versus the foreign income tax expense or benefit calculated by applying the appropriate foreign tax rates.

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The amount of income tax expense or benefit for the period computed by applying the domestic federal statutory tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations.

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The portion of the difference, between total income tax expense or benefit as reported in the Income Statement for the year/accounting period and the expected income tax expense or benefit computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations, that is attributable to all other items not otherwise listed in the existing taxonomy.

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The portion of the difference between total income tax expense or benefit as reported in the Income Statement for the period and the expected income tax expense or benefit computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations attributable to income that is exempt from income taxes under enacted tax laws.

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