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The Swedish Model: Past, Present, and Future

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Reforming the Welfare State

Abstract

Ten years ago, Erik Lundberg (1985), in one of his last writings, discussed “The Rise and Fall of the Swedish Model.” The opening passage of the article points out that the notion of a specific Swedish model “has been used in a vague and unscientific way by economists, journalists, and politicians since the 1930s.” This indicates that many observers have for a long time actually identified a specific Swedish model, but also that it is not all that clear exactly what this model is. In all likelihood this vague notion has also been changing over time. It is, thus, a delicate matter to discuss the past, present, and future of the Swedish model. I will not make any attempt to supply a comprehensive definition of the Swedish model. Instead, I will settle below for a provisional list of features which can be considered typical of the Swedish economy.1

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Authors
  1. Anders Forslund
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Kiel Institute of World Economics, Düsternbrooker Weg 120, D-24105, Kiel, Germany

    Herbert Giersch (Past President) (Past President)

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Forslund, A. (1997). The Swedish Model: Past, Present, and Future. In: Giersch, H. (eds) Reforming the Welfare State. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60497-3_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60497-3_8

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