THE NEW POLITICS OF THE WELFARE-STATE

This essay seeks to lay the foundation for an understanding of welfare state retrenchment. Previous discussions have generally relied, at le ast implicitly, on a reflexive application of theories designed to exp lain welfare state expansion. Such an approach is seriously flawed. No t only is the goal of retrenchment (avoiding blame for cutting existin g programs) far different from the goal of expansion (claiming credit for new social benefits), but the welfare state itself vastly alters t he terrain on which the politics of social policy is fought out. Only an appreciation of how mature social programs create a new politics ca n allow us to make sense of the welfare state's remarkable resilience over the past two decades of austerity Theoretical argument is combine d with quantitative and qualitative data from four cases (Britain, the United States, Germany, and Sweden) to demonstrate the shortcomings o f conventional wisdom and to highlight the factors that limit or facil itate retrenchment success.