This article examines the economic agenda of the Dutch Freedom Party. It finds that this party mixes left-wing and right-wing policy positions. This inconsistency can be understood through the group-based account of Ennser-Jedenastik (2016), which proposes that the welfare state agenda of radical right-wing populist parties can be understood in terms of populism, nativism and authoritarianism. Each of these elements is linked to a particular economic policy: economic nativism, which sees the economic interest of natives and foreigners as opposed; economic populism, which seeks to limit economic privileges for the elite; and economic authoritarianism, which sees the interests of deserving and undeserving poor as opposed. By using these different oppositions, radical right-wing populist parties can reconcile left-wing and right-wing positions.

This article is concerned with the consequences of economic and demographic decline for the welfare state. The issue of decline itself is not investigated. Decline is taken for granted and the consequences of decline are examined. In this article the sociological 'logic' of social policy is investigated and subsequently applied to the issue of decline. The policy-mechanisms that are discussed are: selective versus universal social policy; the extent and character of redistribution; and individual versus collective responsibility. The question that is raised in the final section is what demographic decline in particular might imply for a universal welfare state: more selectivity in social policy? less redistribution between young and old? more individual responsibility? By making use of the policy-mechanisms discussed before, the consequences of these strategies are discussed.