ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the issue of welfare state convergence, i.e. social policy changes towards multilevel governance in Europe. It highlights the increasing significance of decentralisation, the emergence and strengthening of regions as important actors, and the growing influence of local levels of government. The complexity of assessing patterns of convergence or divergence for welfare policy is manifested through the almost endless number of possible indicators. Jonathan Rodden claims that the most striking aspect of the rescaling process over the last decade is the evolution of shared authority, i.e. that central governments very rarely enact total autonomy to sub-national governments. The Nordic countries show a distinct picture, as central governments have regained authority after a period of decentralised power in terms of financing and regulation. Increased regionalisation may also be perceived as a response to the challenge that globalisation and European integration represent to traditional macro-economic planning functions at the nation-state level.
