The Third Ways of Social Democracy into the

 21st Century*

 

by Wolfgang Merkel, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg
 

* Presentation at the 3rd Roundtable for Human Right and Peace on "The Third Ways of Social Democracy and Social Movement" in Seoul on June 26, 2000, organized by Sungkonghoe University and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
 

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Introduction
1. The theoretical concept of the 'Third Way'
2. Resources and Constraints of Social Democratic Politics at the End of the 20th Century
2.1 Filter 1: Resources and Constraints Resources
2.2 Filter 2: Options and Decisions
3. The various ways of social democracy in Europe
3.1  The market-oriented way of the New Labour government
        Fiscal policy
        Employment policy
        Social policy
        The strengths and weaknesses of New Labours policies
3.2  The consensus-oriented way to more market: the Dutch 'polder model'
       Fiscal policy
       Employment policy
       Social policy
       The strengths and weaknesses of the polder model
3.3  The (reformed) welfare state way: Sweden
       Fiscal policy
       Employment policy
       Social policy
       The strengths and weaknesses of the Swedish way
3.4  The statist way: the Parti Socialiste Francais
       Fiscal policy
       Employment policy
       Social policy
       The strengths and weaknesses of the statist way
4. Social Democracy's way into the 21 st century leads through Europe
       Fiscal policy
       Monetary policy
       Employment and labour market policy
       Social policy