The Austere State

Chapter 2 examines how austerity goes beyond simple budget cuts. It considers how budget cuts are accompanied by – and support – state restructuring, changing the nature of the state as an institutional ensemble. Building on the work of sociologist Bob Jessop, the chapter approaches the state as a complex set of institutions implementing austerity as a socioeconomic project and considers how the balance of economic and social forces shapes the way austerity is enacted in different places. The chapter then examines the multiple manifestations of austerity, focusing on how budget cuts are connected to state restructuring. This restructuring sees state functions transferred from central government to local authorities and even private entities. By highlighting the differences in the implementation of austerity, the chapter demonstrates that the experience of austerity varies geographically across the UK.