etatisme

Etatisme, or statism, is the political doctrine that the state should assume a central and decisive role in managing economic and social life. Proponents argue that government action is necessary to ensure economic stability, provide public goods, reduce inequality, and coordinate large-scale projects that private markets cannot efficiently organize.

Historically, etatisme has appeared in diverse forms. In France, the tradition of dirigisme emphasized strong state steering of the economy during industrialization and postwar reconstruction. In postwar Western Europe, expansive welfare states and public services reflected statist influences. In other contexts, state-led development and nationalization programs have been associated with socialist and corporatist models, while liberal democracies have often adopted limited but persistent state intervention to correct market failures.

Common mechanisms include public ownership or control of key sectors, state-led planning or strategic direction, regulation of prices and competition, taxation and subsidies, and the expansion of social insurance and public employment.

Critics argue that extensive state control can reduce incentives, hinder innovation, and concentrate power, while supporters contend that the state can correct market failures, secure universal rights, and provide long-term planning that markets alone cannot deliver.

Today, etatisme is often described as a spectrum rather than a fixed doctrine, with many countries combining market mechanisms with varying degrees of state intervention. The term is frequently used to characterize policy trends rather than a single political ideology.