Wolfson was born on 22 June 1933 in Voorburg.[1] His father was a minister. His mother died in January 1945, when he was 11 years old. Wolfson grew up in Westerlee, Groningen.[1] Wolfson obtained his PhD with a thesis on public finance in developing countries.[2]
Career
Wolfson started his career at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington.[2][3] During his time at the IMF he became acquinted with Wim Duisenberg.[4] In the 1960s he worked as the IMF's permanent representative in Libera.[2] Between 1970 and 1973 he was deputy director of domestic money affairs of the Ministry of Finance of the Netherlands. He then served as director of economic policy between 1973 and 1975.[1] In 1973, finance minister and Labour Party member Wim Duisenberg wanted to send a 100 guilder check to every citizen. Wolfson, as one of his financial aides, rejected the plan as too costly.[4] From 1975 to 1986 Wolfson was professor of public finance at Erasmus University Rotterdam. In 1986 Wolfson became rector of the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in the Hague.[1] He was elected a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1989.[3] He served as rector of ISS until 1990 as hearing problems forced him to give up the position and he was succeeded by Geertje Lycklama à Nijeholt.[2][5]
From 1 April 1990 until 1998 he was a member of the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR).[1] Wolfson was also crown member at the Social and Economic Council (SER) for a total of 14 years.[6] In 1985 he argued in the SER for an enlarged employment-to-population ratio, but first had to explain the concept to the others.[2] In 1991 he advised on sobering the Wet op de arbeidsongeschiktheidsverzekering [nl].[1] The advise was based on the work of the troika consisting of Wolfson, Gerrit Zalm and Ad Kolnaar.[7] During early 1994 he, together with Gerrit Zalm, was influential in the lead up the First Kok cabinet. Both men argued for reforms of the organisation of social security. As members of the WRR they were in a position to provide unrequested advice to the government. In May 1994, a group under Wolfson published a report which argued for limited market mechanism in social security and privatization of the implementing organizations. The parties discussing the formation with Kok used the report and it became an important source for the government program.[8] Wolfson also returned to the Erasmus University Rotterdam as a part-time professor of economy between 1993 and 1998.[1]
Wolfson in 2003 pleaded for a "transaction state", as opposed to a primarily caring welfare state.[9] In 2005 he concluded that cultural factors were making it hard to reach the desired state.[10]
Political career
In 1991 discussion was ongoing within the Labour Party, of which Wolfson party was member, regarding the cabinet plans of budget cuts to social security. When Wolfson was asked to explain the plans to party members in De Rode Hoed, he faced a critical audience and delivered a fire-and-brimstone sermon.[11] As member of the Labour Party he was part of its economic think thank and led a party commission on the welfare state.[1] The report which followed in 1992 was largely the same as the 1991 SER publication, which was exactly as Wolfson had intended.[11][2]
Wolfson was a member of the Senate of the Netherlands for the Labour Party between 8 June 1999 and 10 June 2003.[1][12] In the Senate he dealt with financial and social affairs, defence, higher education and transport and water management.[1]
Wolfson has stated that over 15 years he has struggled with Jan Blokker's concept: am I left enough?[2]
