ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the development of welfare-state support and political leftism, and the interrelations between these two clusters of attitudes for the last quarter century. Public redistribution and care are at the core of the welfare state. First of all, it is necessary to mention that it is not possible to speak of one dimension of welfare-state support among the Norwegian population or one dimension of political leftism which is highly correlated with a more general collectivism. The welfare state is based upon majority support, but the ideal behind this support is not equality, and the most widespread general attitude is not egalitarianism. Welfare-state support has slowly increased during the last quarter century, while collectivist orientations seem at the same time to have decreased. The prevailing Social Democratic style of government has proved to be a useful vehicle for obtaining such a goal.
