Welfare-State Retrenchment: Playing the National Card

In: Critical review: an interdisciplinary journal of politics and society, Band 10, Heft 1, S. 63-94

Abstract

Conservative-oriented economic & political transformations in the US, UK, Canada, & the Federal Republic of Germany are considered in reference to the persistent significance of the nation-state. Although simultaneous tendencies toward regionalization & globalization have somewhat undermined the symbolic & concrete power of nation-states, it is argued that the basic shifts in modern economics & politics are still primarily contested & achieved at the level of national governments. Although the economic scarcity of the 1980s exacerbated a diverse range of social problems, individual citizens, regions, & the global community still view the nation-state as primarily responsible for remedying these ills. However, globalization & the fluidity of capital have forced nation-states to cater to the needs of business, & under these circumstances, a form of politics has emerged without the centralized power & resources necessary to achieve welfare goals. Despite these general trends, individual governments have coped with globalization & welfare demands in different ways, & it is concluded that the continued significance of national symbols & structures ensures the future of the nation-state. 97 References. Adapted from the source document.