ABSTRACT
There is a neoliberal agenda that, in its extreme form, would like to get rid of the welfare state as it evolved in Western Europe. A milder variant of this agenda emphasizes individual responsibility but accepts the responsibility of the state in case of the destitute. This chapter addresses some of the issues connected with the neoliberal project. It focuses mainly on Europe. Even this restricted frame-work will be badly treated: The huge variations within the Continent will be hardly touched upon. Western Europe will be differentiated only from Central and Eastern Europe. The coercive functions proved to be insufficient in handling the major new problems of the modernizing world. Industrialization, urbanization, and the increasing social density required the active participation of a central agency in the creation of the regulatory frameworks and the infrastructure promoting the expansion of the capitalist market.
