The decline in social capital has been cited as the main cause of popular discontent. Citizen disenchantment has been aggravated by economic restructuring, the dismantling of the welfare state and the devolution of government. The continued withdrawal and downsizing of state commitments fuels public perception that government does not work. As social welfare and safety net functions are devolved even further, an incentive system that pits jurisdictions against each other takes form. Such a system results in divisiveness and conflict among neighboring jurisdictions.