The recently published bestseller “The Country That Became Too Rich” (Holte, 2025) criticizes a welfare state that is growing disproportionately. Norwegian news media have repeated apocalyptic warnings about the sustainability and viability of the welfare state, suggesting that increasing demands could strain the social contract. How can we ensure a sustainable welfare state in a time of rising expectations and tightening resources? Can the welfare state’s bottom line be reduced to finances, or is it also about more complex balances involving community and trust? The WELBOUND project begins with a fundamental question: How is the management of collective goods in the Norwegian welfare society negotiated and legitimized? As opposed to viewing welfare solely as an economic burden, we examine the social and cultural mechanisms that make the system robust or vulnerable.
Historically, the Norwegian welfare state has developed through strong local communities and mutual obligations. These obligations have created a unique form of universalism, where everyone is entitled to basic services. However, today’s political discussions often focus on “adjusting expectations” and streamlining. WELBOUND challenges this logic: Could the power inherent in expectations of the welfare state be the very foundation for trust and willingness to contribute to the distribution of common goods on which the welfare state is built?
The project combines historical research with fieldwork in municipalities, analysis of policy documents and media discourse, and interviews with users, employees, and decision-makers. We examine how concepts such as “common goods,” “sustainability,” “expectations,” “trust,” and “legitimacy” have evolved over time, and how reforms influence experiences of justice and community. The aim is to develop a new theoretical framework for understanding welfare as a moral system, where trust, norms, and social obligations are as important as budgets and laws.
The results will contribute not only to academic debate but also offer concrete recommendations for policymakers and practitioners. WELBOUND will challenge the prevailing understanding of sustainability and provide new insights into the relationship between expectations, trust, and the sustainability of the welfare state.