From the end of the Second World War, the Cold War rivalry between formally communist ‘East’, and liberal democratic ‘West’ took several forms – prestige projects, such as space exploration, advances in military technology, and sporting prowess. Above all, the contest was about demonstrating the power of the rival socio-economic systems to deliver sustained economic growth, ever-rising material living standards, and consumer choice. In most western countries, there was a parallel consensus between the main parties of left and right about the central purpose of public policy. Economic growth and rising living standards were the shared priorities of both conservative and social democratic parties, with relatively minor differences over the extent of welfare provision, the role of state support for industry, and workers’ rights.