Abstract
I was interested in doing research into changing attitudes towards the welfare state within the Norwegian Labour Party.This because I wished to uncover processes of change or stability as concerns key values undermining the welfare state. I chose the Labour Party because it has been seen as the main party which has been largely responsible for the development and maintenaince of the "post-war" welfare state.
I chose to interview members of the party and to combine this with text analysis of official Labour Party documents and newspaper interviews. I found significant differences of opinion between the leadership of the party and the "rank and file", or "grassroots" members.I also found that the leadership have vacillated somewhat during recent years as to how much they feel they should, or are able to, allow more room for the free play of market forces within key sections of the public sector economy, not least of all, within key elements of welfare provision.