This chapter outlines a perspective on policy change in the Nordic countries after the Second World War. It is argued that three distinctive periods can be identified. The first is a tax financed expansion period of social welfare and public services during the first three decades after the war. When tax increases ceased to be functional, a liberalization and globalization phase took over. It was hoped that more competitive businesses would generate a surplus that would be sufficient for retaining the public commitments, including the welfare sector. Markets were dereg-ulated, previous state-owned businesses were sold off and private providers were invited to carry out welfare services. New Public Management became the leading philosophy of how the public sector should be governed. The third phase, a post-global era, emerged around 2020 with increasing awareness of on-going climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the retreat from an international rules-based world order. Under such conditions, the Nordic countries’ reliance on liberalization of trade became a very risky strategy and was not a safe basis for generating public resources. Also, additional demands for public services emerged. New infrastructure was needed to handle floods, forest fires and droughts. Resources had to be stored for unseen events. The national defence needed to be strengthened, and Finland and Sweden joined the NATO. A new approach had to be considered.