Public perceptions of the proper role of the state

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Abstract
By means of a re‐analysis of public opinion surveys between 1973–76 (Political Action), 1985 and 1990 (International Social Survey on the ‘Role of Government I + II'), perceptions of government responsibilities are studied over time and across nations. Even if affiliated to government parties, the public, in the short run, does not reinforce prevailing trends uncritically, but in a mood of sophisticated scepticism tends rather to take an anti‐cyclical stance. Inspite of a uniform change across all nations from ‘interventionist’ beliefs to a more ‘neo‐liberal’ creed in the long run, historically endorsed national differences, rooted in inherited attitudes towards the proper role of government still exist.