Despite the market triumphalism that greeted the end of the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet empire seemed initially to herald new possibilities for social democracy. In the 1990s, with a new era of peace and economic prosperity apparently imminent, people discontented with the realities of global capitalism swept social democrats into power in many Western countries. The resurgence was, however, brief. Neither the recurring economic crises of the 2000s nor the ongoing War on Terror was conducive to social democracy, which soon gave way to a prolonged decline in countries where social democrats had once held power. Arguing that neither globalization nor demographic change was key to the failure of social democracy, the contributors to this volume analyze the rise and decline of Third Way social democracy and seek to lay the groundwork for the reformulation of progressive class politics.

Offering a comparative look at social democratic experience since the Cold War, the volume examines countries where social democracy has long been an influential political force—Sweden, Germany, Britain, and Australia—while also considering the history of Canada’s NDP and the emergence of New Left parties in Germany and the province of Québec. The case studies point to a social democracy that has confirmed its rupture with the postwar order and its role as the primary political representative of working-class interests. Once marked by redistributive and egalitarian policy perspectives, social democracy has, the book argues, assumed a new role—that of a modernizing force advancing the neoliberal cause.

Bryan Evans is Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University. In addition to a PhD in Political Science from York University, he holds a Bachelor of Arts from Laurentian University and a Master of Arts from York University . His doctoral dissertation, defended in January 2008 at York University, explores the links between managerialism, neoliberalism and the restructuring of the Ontario public sector. His advisor, Gregory Albo, is an internationally respected Marxist analyst.

His teaching and research interests focus on public sector restructuring, public policy and public management as well as the politics of labour and work Currently he is a member of a university and community based team investigating Ontario ‘s workers’ compensation system. His publications reflect this research agenda and most notably, Shrinking the State , co-authored with Dr. John Shields , is regarded as a path-breaking contribution toward a critical understanding of the new public management and public sector restructuring.

Bryan Evans' profile page

Ingo Schmidt is an economist and the coordinator of the Labour Studies Program at Athabasca University. He has taught in Germany as well as Canada and was formerly staff economist with the metalworkers union, IG Metall, in Germany.

Ingo Schmidt's profile page