The Crisis of the International Capitalist Order and Its Implications for the Welfare State

This article analyzes the current crisis of the international capitalist order and its consequences for the welfare state policies of developed and underdeveloped capitalist countries. Special emphasis is given to the impact of the crisis on state health care policies in those countries. The first part discusses capital's and labor's response to the crisis, with special focus on (a) capital's political and ideological interventions in the areas of production, consumption and legitimation; and (b) their realization as health care policies. The second part analyzes (a) the major capitalist responses to the crisis, ie, the 'market' and the 'social contract' strategies; and (b) their consequences in health care policy. The last part critically evaluates the call for a new economic order and its limitations.