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European Socialists and the State: A Comparative and Transnational Approach

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European Socialists and the State in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in the History of Social Movements ((PSHSM))

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Abstract

Many political observers in Western democratic countries equate socialism with statism. From the late 1970s onwards, numerous socialist elites and experts have helped to nurture this widespread belief. This chapter aims to dispel this reductive, indeed incorrect, account of the relationship between West European socialism and the idea, form, and use of the state. It challenges what remains a dominant interpretation of the left’s propensity for state intervention in political and journalistic debates. It promotes a comparative and transnational approach over the longue durée, which is likely to produce a better understanding of West European socialism. In so doing, it also casts an original light on the history of the contemporary state in Europe.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The authors warmly thank Jenny Andersson, Alain Chatriot, Michele Di Donato, and Gerassimos Moschonas for their insightful comments on earlier versions of this text.

  2. 2.

    A detailed presentation of this debate does not fall within the scope of this introduction. For a clear explanation of its key issues, see, for instance, Heclo 1974; Orloff and Skocpol 1984; Hall 1993.

  3. 3.

    This dichotomy has given rise to many debates in the recent literature. For a critical exchange based on the example of the US federal government, see Novak 2008, and Orren and Skowronek 2017.

  4. 4.

    Our italics.

  5. 5.

    Tony Blair and Gerhard Schröder’s Manifesto, “Europe: The Third Way/Die Neue Mitte”, June 8, 1999, http://miroirs.ironie.org/socialisme/www.psinfo.net/dossiers/gauche/3voie/blairvo.html [Accessed September 12, 2018].

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  1. Sciences Po Paris, Paris, France

    Mathieu Fulla & Marc Lazar

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  1. Mathieu Fulla
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Correspondence to Mathieu Fulla .

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  1. Centre of History, Sciences Po Centre of History, Paris, France

    Mathieu Fulla

  2. Centre of History, Sciences Po Centre of History, Paris, France

    Marc Lazar

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Fulla, M., Lazar, M. (2020). European Socialists and the State: A Comparative and Transnational Approach. In: Fulla, M., Lazar, M. (eds) European Socialists and the State in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries. Palgrave Studies in the History of Social Movements. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41540-2_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41540-2_1

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