The Social Democratic Dilemma: Ideology, Governance and Globalization

332 Pages·2000·18.011 MB·English

by  Stuart Thomson (auth.)

The Social Democratic Dilemma
The Social Democratic
Dilemma
Ideology, Governance and Globalization
Stuart Thomson
Public Affairs Consultant
DLA Upstream
and
Honorary Research Fellow
University of Aberdeen
First published in Great Britain 2000 by
MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
Houndmi11s, Basingstokc, Hampshire RG21 6XS and London
Companies and representatives throughout the world
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978-1-349-41723-0 ISBN 978-0-230-51411-9 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9780230514119
Firsl published in the United States of America 2000 by
ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC..
Scholarly and Reference Division,
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.V. 10010
ISBN 978-1-349-4 I 723-0
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Thomson, Stuart, 1972-
The social democratic dilemma: ideology, governance. and globalization 1 Stuart
Thomson.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-349-4 I 723-0 (cloth)
I. Socialist parties- Europe, Western. 2. Socialism- Europe, Western. 3.
Liberalism- Europe, Western. I. Title.
JN94.A979 T46 2000
324.2' 172'094- dc21
99..(152522
Q Stuart Thomson 2000
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2000 978-0-333-77674-2
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made
without written permission.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced. copied or transmitted save with written
permissioll or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act
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Licensillg Agency. 90 Tottenham Court Road, London WI P OLP.
Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to
criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This OOok is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained
forest sources.
To my mother, father and brother
Contents
List of Tables ix
List of Figures xi
Preface xiii
List of Abbreviations xv
Introduction 1
1 Diversity and Change in Models of Social Democracy 19
2 Theories to Explain the 'Decline' of Social Democracy 35
3 The Southern European Model of Social Democracy 63
4 The Northern European Model of Social Democracy 98
5 The British Case: the Development of New Labour 124
6 The Failures of 'New' Social Democracy 154
7 Conclusion 189
Appendices
1 Profiles of Interviewees 219
2 Jospin's 'Propositions pour la France' - 1995 Presidential
Manifesto 229
3 The New Clause IV 233
4 A Comparison of Old and New Labour 234
5 Changes in Labour Party Policy Positions 236
Notes 239
Bibliography 267
Index 313
List of Tables
2.1 Percentage of economically active population in
manufacturing and social services 53
2.2 Trade union density rates in Western Europe, 1970-90 54
2.3 Women and part-time work, 1992-3 55
2.4 Women's employment, 1960-81 55
2.5 Women's employment in the working class, 1960-81 56
6.1 Unemployment rates: France, Spain, Greece and Sweden,
1981-96 165
6.2 Inflation rates 166
6.3 Growth rates 167
6.4 Social protection current expenditure as a percentage of
Gross Domestic Product at market prices 168
6.5 Sweden's social spending (as a percentage of GDP) 168
6.6 Health expenditure 169
6.7 Social protection benefits by group of functions 169
6.8 Spending on education (at current prices as percentage
of GDP) 170
6.9 Poverty (percentage of adults with income under 75%
of EU average) 170
6.10 National studies of income distribution: Gini coefficients
from 1970 171
6.11 Trends in earning dispersion, 1970-94 (comparison of
D9 to D5 group) 172
6.12 Exclusion from the labour force 173
6.13 Perception of general economic situation 174
6.14 Perception of financial situation 176
6.15 Perception of the future 178
6.16 Perception of economic situation (Sweden) 180
6.17 Perception of the past year (Sweden) 180
6.18 Party shares of votes and changes in vote shares in
standard regions 181
6.19 Sources of Labour's 1997 vote 181
6.20 Occupational class and vote, 1964-97 182
6.21 Vote by group 183
6.22 The Conservative record 183
6.23 Reasons for voting Labour 184
ix
x List of Tables
6.24 The major problems facing Britain 185
6.25 Party ratings on the main issues 185
6.26 Party images 186
6.27 Expectations 186
6.28 Best Prime Minister 186
6.29 Pederson index of electoral volatility, average for
13 European party systems 1948-94 and for
Britain 1948-97 187
7.1 Voting turnout in parliamentary elections 195
7.2 'Thatcherite' versus 'Socialist' ideals 196
List of Figures
0.1 Electoral statistics of social democratic parties 3
0.2 Position of socialist and social democratic party leaders 14
2.1 The party strategy space 59
7.1 Model of influences on social democratic parties 198
xi
Preface
As I find the actions of political parties and politicians interesting and
exciting, I expect others to do likewise. Hopefully some of my enthusi
asm comes across in this work. The nature of such a piece of compara
tive analysis means that it develops as boundaries and attitudes
constantly shift. There has to be a stage where a line is drawn and the
writing becomes 'complete'. For me that was August 1998. The work, I
believe, will stand the test of time and can explain how the social
democratic parties of Western Europe have developed and will develop.
The work involved constant contact with many of the parties around
Europe. Although I was able to claim credit for translating the PS mate
rial from its native French, when it came to the PSOE material I must
thank my aunt, Sheila Reyes, and cousins Helen and Jayne Reyes for
assistance in its translation.
Acknowledgement is due to Cambridge University Press for their
permission to use diagrams from H. Kitshelt, The Transformation of
European Social Democracy, copyright © Cambridge University Press,
1994, and to Oxford University Press for their permission to use
diagrams from A. Ware, Political Parties and Party Systems, copyright ©
Oxford University Press, 1996.
This work has been four years in the writing and it has seen me draw
on help and support from many people. Financially, the Tenterden
Town Council (my home town in Kent) awarded me some funds for
my field trip to the 1995 French presidential elections; the Carnegie
Trust for the Universities of Scotland made a small award which took
me to London; and the Sir Richard Stapley Educational trust made an
award which provided me with the means to survive.
Academically, I have benefited from being surrounded by a support
ive department and the help of Professor Grant Jordan has been of par
ticular use, but that is not to negate the advice given by others (such as
Lynne Bennie, Roland Axtmann and Alasdair McLean). I must also
acknowledge the constant support of my supervisor, Byron Criddle.
Personally, the encouragement, support and advice (not always
taken) given to me by my mother, father and brother has been invalu
able. Others have been there for me along the way, although not all
have remained. Thanks to Katrina Bull, Elizabeth Byrne, Helen
Stevenson, Jamie Patterson, Marie Patterson, Rob Grant; friends from
xiii