From Problem to Solution?

Narrative Constructions of the Welfare State and their Dynamics in the Federal Republic of Germany

Abstract

The article traces the narratives that have dominated social policy in Germany in recent years. By doing so, it focuses on the question how policy makers narrate social policy. The core assumption is that the history of the welfare state is currently being told primarily as a success story. While neoliberal narratives in the course of the Agen-da 2010 primarily portrayed the welfare state as the cause of the problem, the financial crisis has brought about a narrative that nar-rates the welfare state as a problem solver and thus as a hero. The article refers to conceptual considerations from policy research and illustrates its core claim using narratives used by political decision-makers during the corona pandemic.