The Social Construction of an Imperative: Why Welfare Reform Happened in Denmark and the Netherlands but Not in Germany

Abstract

This article seeks to explain why Denmark and the Netherlands made dramatic progress reforming their welfare systems in the 1990s and why Germany had a relatively slow start. Some possible explanations found to be incomplete are institutional differences in welfare programs, the uniqueness of circumstances (for example, German unification), and the balance of political power in governing institutions. An important part of the puzzle is an increasing perception of the need to reform that was more widespread in Denmark and the Netherlands. The social construction of an imperative to reform in these countries generated a political consensus that was elusive in Germany but that may be developing under Gerhard Schroder's government.

Voters’ commitment problem and reforms in welfare programs

“…The argument here is that by invoking a specific discourse or imperative, governments may overcome the barriers to unpopular reform and implement it successfully (Cox 2001;Schmidt 2002;see Campbell 2002;Lieberman 2002). Studies focusing on the importance of ideas have added to the knowledge of the process of unpopular welfare reform.…”

Vieillissement, discours politique et réforme des retraites aux États-Unis1

“…Dans le discours politique améri-cain, ce genre de rhétorique devient une arme idéologique visant à justifier une apparente « †nécessité de réformer †» (Cox, 2001) les retraites au plus vite et de façon dramatique. De ce point de vue, une telle rhétorique sert à légitimer des propositions de réforme beaucoup plus radicales que les ajustements techniques proposés par les défenseurs du régime par répartition.…”

“…Plus particulière-ment, l'article emprunte à Robert H. Cox (2001) le concept de « †construction sociale de la néces-sité de réformer †» (social construction of the need to reform). Selon lui, la construction sociale d'impé-ratifs de réforme est un élément essentiel de la transformation contemporaine de la protection sociale qui est rarement abordé dans les travaux d'auteurs institu-tionnalistes comme Paul Pierson (1994).…”

Untitled

“…in France, Great Britain and Switzerland; Bonoli 2001), by looking at the particular institutional configuration that determines retrenchment (Swank 2001) or the domestic institutional "refraction" of international pressures (Kitschelt et al 1999), by highlighting the effect of the party system, party competition and party strategy (Levy 1999;Ross 2000;Green-Pedersen 2001;Kitschelt 2001), and by pointing to framing and the role of discourse to overcome electoral and institutional resistance to major policy reform (Cox 2001;Schmidt 2000; a good overview is provided by Green-Pedersen and Haverland 2002).…”