03 Erickson (JB/D)
21/3/02
9:20 am
Page 301
PA RT Y P O L I T I C S
V O L 8 . N o . 3 pp. 301–325
Copyright © 2002 SAGE Publications
London
Thousand Oaks
New Delhi
POST-MATERIALISM VERSUS THE WELFARE STATE? Opinion Among English Canadian Social Democrats Lynda Erickson and David Laycock ABSTRACT
Theories of contemporary social democracy suggest parties of the left may have to alter their views on the welfare state and shift their emphases in policy priorities to remain electorally competitive. In this article, we examine the structure of opinion within the New Democratic Party with regard to conventional welfare state policies, ideas on equity and post-materialist issues. We find no evidence of a muted egalitarianism or increasingly selective support for the redistributive agenda of the welfare state, and little evidence of internal party divisions rooted in a middle-class defection from the traditional programs of the welfare state. Nor is there a materialist–post-materialist division within the party. Our data show that post-materialist inclinations increase with support for a class redistributionist, materialist policy agenda. Our findings cast doubt on the ‘new politics’ thesis that post-materialist agendas will crowd out materialist policy issues and add to skepticism concerning an imminent post-materialist redefinition of social democratic strategic and policy choices.
KEY WORDS Canada political parties post-materialism social democracy welfare state
Introduction Like social democratic parties across the Western world, Canada’s federal New Democratic Party (NDP) faces a major challenge responding to a political climate and public discourse increasingly hostile to many elements of conventional social democratic ideology. The political right has successfully promoted reduced public spending and lower taxes, fueled antipathy to public ownership and government regulation and placed welfare reform high 1354-0688(200205)8:3;301–325;022817