The 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath have reinforced the realisation that there is much to be improved in the institutional design of the social and economic domain. For centuries, the Netherlands has been among the most prosperous and socially just societies. The Dutch appreciate this situation and give high marks to their happiness in life. In the longer term, however, the Netherlands faces increasing social inequality and global economic competition. A future as pleasant as the present is thus anything but a given. There is much agreement that the financial sector needs to be reformed, the economy needs to be made more sustainable and everyone needs equal opportunities. But what exactly that means is less clear, as is the question of how it can be achieved. Market, public-private partnership and state intervention are three well-known models, but do they work adequately? These are not just technical questions, they also imply alternative societal analyses. Moreover, differences in ethical and political views will play a major role in the implementation of solutions.
Connecting character
From different perspectives and different disciplines such as philosophy, ethics, history, law, political science, economics and the social sciences, answers to interdisciplinary questions will be sought, such as: Are markets everywhere the best mechanism of economic production or are certain goods and services better realised in other ways? How has capitalism evolved over time and what determines its successes and limitations? Are alternative economic systems conceivable, feasible and desirable? Is a basic income (politically, financially, socially) feasible, and is it desirable? What determines demographic changes in the short and long term, both locally and globally? What consequences do demographic changes have, and how can we deal with them? What does the future of the welfare state look like? What are the consequences for different groups in society of, for example, the decentralisations in the social domain? How are these consequences experienced by citizens?
