ABSTRACT
This chapter describes that the components of the paradox, both the idea of consensus and accommodation, and the occasional spectacular performances of the Dutch political economy, are exaggerations of Dutch social scientists and politicians. The claim that consensus and accommodation are core characteristics of the country's political economy is the result of a selective interpretation of reality. Indeed, the selective interpretation, repeated often enough, becomes a public myth. The "polder model" of consensus and accommodation is such a public myth. In the 1990s, Dutch sociologists discovered that lots of people were receiving benefits they did not need, and often resorted to unscrupulous means of making themselves eligible. The legitimacy of the Dutch welfare-state is based on the belief that these progressive programs promote equality and foster a sense of social solidarity. In addition, there is another tier of the Dutch welfare-state that provides generous benefits to members of the work force as a form of income security.
