Umbau am «Modell Deutschland». Sozialer Wandel,ökonomische Krise und wohlfahrtsstaatliche Reformpolitik in der Bundesrepublik «nach dem Boom»

Abstract

Reforming the «German Model»: Social Change, Economic Crisis and the Politics of the Welfare State in the Federal Republic «after the Boom»

The triad of changes in values and social and economic structures has altered the possible reach of social policies profoundly. In this context, this article examines perception of post-industrial transformations and their discursive processing of and political reaction to through social policy in the 1970s and 1980s. While its discursive framework changed significantly through its intensified focus on social inequality, the problem – solving patterns of social policy remained remarkably stable. Elements of continuity between socialist-liberal and Christian-liberal social policy thus outweighed these different accentuations. A policy of fiscal consolidation, which was successful in European comparison, started already in the mid-1970s. Both governments, however, preferred interventions that were effective only for a short term. These were mostly motivated by budgetary policy. This emphasised the problematic peculiarities within the framework of the German welfare state model, for instance the high burden of labour costs. It also delayed the adaptation of welfare state institutions to changed socio-structural circumstances result for example from the pluralisation of occupational careers and family structures.