Sweden

1
Sweden

• S. Theodoulou

2
Sweden today

• The Model of social democratic society.
• 1990s Many social benefits were eliminated and
  taxes increased.
• A rich industrialized society facing economic
  recession and crucial dilemmas
• How can economic deficit and unemployment be
  controlled without dismantling the Welfare State?
• How can the State provide good services without
  overtaxing its citizens?

3
The Social Democratic Party

• In power since 1932 (alone or in coalitions)
• No other Western political party in democratic
  settings enjoyed such popular support
• Hegemony of labor (today going through a crisis)
• A century ago, the Social Democrats aspired to
  public ownership of the economy (radical)
• 1930s Move to the center due to the alliance with
  the Agrarian Party (more moderate)

4
Modern Sweden Politics

• 1920s Social Reforms
• 1930s Unionization

5
1930s Consensus

• Sweden would be a capitalist society
• The state would provide for full employment and
  economic growth
• Benefits of growth would be redistributed equally
• Capital/labor relations regulated in a
  (neo)corporative fashiondemocratic corporatism

6
The Most Comprehensive Welfare State on earth

• Goal redistribution of wealth through social
  benefits
• Welfare services are seen as a part of citizens
  rights (? the US)
• Expansion during 1940s 1950s
• The highest level of income taxes in the West
  suported the Welfare State
• 1960s extension of all benefits to
  immigrantsImmigrants should be treated as equals
  in all respects.

7
Tage Erlander Social Democratic Party leader and
Prime Minister (1946-69)
It is a mistake to think that the freedom of
human beings, whether in the economic area or the
political one, will diminish if they agree to
join forces to do such things as they cannot
manage by themselves. What is... The main part
of our political activity other than attempts to
organize such cooperation? We want health
insurance, but nobody can manage that of his own.
We must therefore create the opportunity for a
colective solution. The same is true with respect
to our wish to provide social security, to
improve our roads, schools, defense, etc. All our
political activities are filled with our striving
to secure community cooperation to solve such
tasks, which we can accomplish together, but
which we cannot solve by ourselves (1954)
8
Challenges

• The expansion of the welfare state required
  economic growth with stabilization of wages (to
  avoid inflation)
• 1970s (after the 1973 oil crisis)
• High inflation
• Foreign debt
• Large budget deficits

9
1976 elections

• After 44 years, the social democrats were
  defeated by a coalition of conservative parties
• (Question Why did conservatives gain room almost
  everywhere in the mid 70s?)

10
Opposition

• Neo-left (blamed the social democrats for
  environmental damage, gender inequality, etc.)
• Labor (radicalized demands questionning the
  employers power and even property rights)
• Employers/businesspeople the public sector
  looked too big to them while employees had too
  much power

11
Austerity Measures,Protests, and Political Changes

• May 1980 general strike
• May 1981 white collar massive strike ( split of
  the coalition in government)
• 1982 Return of the Social Democrats to power
  (until 1991, alone or in coalitions)
• 1991/4 Centrist coalition of the Center, Liberal,
  and Christian Democrat parties (Bildt)
• 1994 Return of the Social Democrats, now allied
  to the center/right
• Need of redefining a new consensus between labor
  and capital

12
Present Dilemmas

• How does the Swedish State afford to provide good
  quality social services without increasing taxes
  or the public debt?
• Can the Swedish continue affording to extend all
  benefits to all immigrants, before both the
  prolonged recession and the increasing flow of
  immigrants?

13
State Gvt.

• Constitutional Monarchy
• 1975 Constitution (the monarchy plays only a
  symbolic rolethe monarchhead of state)
• Parliamentary System
• Sweden is a unitary state (all local and national
  institutions are subordinated to the Parliament
  and the Central Gvt.)

14
The Executive

• Cabinet, responsible before the Riksdag or
  national legislature. Chosen by the prime
  minister. Standing committees.
• 50 autonomous central agencies (headed by
  directors)
• The prime minister, head of gvt. (leader of the
  majority party or coming from the largest party
  within a winning coalition) leads the cabinet,
  defines policy, and speaks for the cabinet before
  the legislature
• A deputy prime minister (coordinates activities)
• Royal chancery (helps the prime minister)

15
The Legislature

• Unicameral Legislature (349 members elected by
  popular vote through PRfour-year term)
• 310 seats distributed along Swedens 28
  constituencies
• 39 seats distributed according to the parties
  share of votes
• Parties must obtain at least 4 percent of the
  national vote or 12 percent of local vote
• (purpose to eliminate small parties)
• Law-making body/source of cabinet members prime
  minister (through the Speaker)
• Speaker three vice speakers (organize debates)
• 16 standing committees (? the U.S., although the
  Swedish committees cannot kill bills)

16
The Judiciary

• Civil Law influenced by customary law
• Completely independent (though appointed by the
  prime minister and the cabinet)
• Three tiers (civil criminal justice)
• The Supreme Court (Hogsta Domstolen)
• 6 Courts of appeal
• 100 district and city courts (first
  instance)Judges assisted by panels of citizens
• Administrative justice system (also three tiers)
• Labor/Market courts
• Swedish invention the Ombudsman

17
Ombudsman

• Swedish Creation (adopted by a number of states)
• Investigate citizens claims on abuses by the
  State
• Ombudsmen have no power of their own their work
  is to inform the Legislature for a change in
  policy
• (Public embarrassment ?Ancient Greece)

18
The Swedish Bureaucracy

• Decentralized network of autonomous agencies
  operating at the local level
• Reduced since the 1980s (due to austerity
  measures)
• Now the gvt. Sets goals, and agencies are free to
  choose the means to achieve them (purpose to
  make the bureaucracy more efficient and
  responsive)

19
Local Gvt.

• 21 counties governed by administrative boards
• Popularly elected County councils
• Counties led by governors chosen by the cabinet
• Counties divided into municipalities (governed by
  popularly elected councils)
• Local gvt. Implements policy
• Counties can collect taxes

20
Consensual Multi-Party System
(PR electoral system)

• Three small parties (since the 1980s)
• Environmentalists
• Christian Democrats
• New Democracy

• 5 major parties
• The Social Democratic Party
• The Left Party
• The Liberals
• The Center Party
• The Moderates

21
Unionization of Labor

• Sweden (more than 90) ?the U.S. (less than 15)
• Neo-corporatismSchmitter
• Consultation between gvt., labor, and
  capitalconsensus