Still part of the game—corporatism and political exchanges in two small states

Abstract

This study of Danish and Dutch work and welfare policies since the Great Recession questions the dominant picture of trade unions as being too weak and irrelevant for tripartite regulation. The frequency of tripartite agreements has not decreased, and social partners are still able to obtain important concessions. In addition to well-described resources, the article shows that trade unions and employers' organizations offer governments financial resources and access to workplaces in political exchanges, which helps explain corporatist resilience. Only limited support was found for well-known drivers other than economic crises as explanations for changes over time in tripartism.