From varieties of the Welfare State to convergence of the Regulatory State? The ‘Europeanisation’ of regulatory transparency

Book abstract:

The so-called age of the regulatory state is perceived to have led to a uniform policy shift away from the traditional policy instruments of the welfare state, raising questions with regard to citizenship and legitimacy. This paper draws on a 'transparency toolbox' in order compare regulatory regimes in Britain, Ireland, Sweden and Germany and to assess similarities and diversity across these different 'families of nations'. It also asks whether the empirical findings can be linked to a process of Europeanisation, defined here as processes of isomorphism. It is suggested that while all systems are increasingly involved in a second wave of regulatory reform, the evidence of isomorphism processes, originating either in coercive, mimetic or normative pressures, is limited. Instead, rather than witnessing a process of Europeanisation, regulatory reform at the national level continues to be shaped by national 'shadows of the past'.