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Social Democratic Regimes (Sweden)

Social Democratic Regimes (Sweden). Dominant Social Democratic parties Centralized states Corporatist interest groups Universal, generous, service-intensive welfare states that promote equality. Conservative Regimes (U.S.). Weak, non-existent working class parties Pluralist interest groups

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Social Democratic Regimes (Sweden)

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  1. Social Democratic Regimes (Sweden) • Dominant Social Democratic parties • Centralized states • Corporatist interest groups • Universal, generous, service-intensive welfare states that promote equality

  2. Conservative Regimes (U.S.) • Weak, non-existent working class parties • Pluralist interest groups • Relatively small state sectors • Welfare programs • fewer programs, cover fewer people, offer less generous benefits

  3. Christian Democratic Regimes (Germany) • Religious and class divisions (competitive Social/Christian Democratic parties) • Corporatist interest groups • High welfare spending along occupational lines, which mitigates but reinforces inequalities

  4. Sweden: Politics • Long history of Social Democratic Party (SAP) success; high union membership • Working class positioned to promote interests • First in “Lower-class power” among advanced capitalist democracies • Reformist agenda • Not socialize production, socialize distribution • Form broad coalitions

  5. Sweden: Policies • Democratic Socialist Party (SAP) success • generous, universal, service-oriented welfare state displaces market principles (health and child care) and replaces market incomes (pensions, sick pay, unemployment) • Capitalist system • Full employment • Centralized wage bargaining • Wage solidarity

  6. Sweden: Institutions • Consensual democracy • Power sharing (coalition) governments • Inclusive policy-making process • Proportional representation (PR) electoral system • Parliamentary democracy • Unicameral legislature • Riksdag(post-1971): 349 members; low voter-member ratio (1/25,000); multimember districts • Head of state (ceremonial), King; head of government (real power), PM and cabinet • Executive branch dominant in policy • Unitary system

  7. United States: Politics • Weakest lower-class in all advanced capitalist democracies • 1930s New Deal coalition • Rise of Republicans • South defects over civil rights • Business community rolls-back government regulations • Christian right organizes on moral issues • Conservative white males threatened by dismantling of racial and gender hierarchies • Democratic base=black, low-income, female, liberal, unmarried voters • Republican base=white male, conservative, Southern, high-income voters

  8. United States: Policies • Class matters little in how people vote and a lot in who votes • Gap in participation and power reflected in policy • Extreme market capitalism • Businesses enjoy more autonomy • Small public sector; markets rule • Results of extreme market capitalism mixed • Competitive, prosperous economy • High levels of income/wealth inequality and poverty

  9. United States: Institutions • Fragmented - Federalism, separation of powers (checks and balances) • President • Congress • House – 435 members, district elections, two-year terms; white, male, wealthy; high incumbency rates (>90%) • Senate – 100 members, returned by states, six-year terms; wealthier, even less diverse, representative; more competitive elections (around 75%) • Courts • Policymaking process = Veto-points (places where policy can fail) • Maintain status quo, obstacles in way of disadvantaged who depend on public policies to offset lack of market power

  10. Germany: Politics • Unification (1870s); rapid industrialization • Defeat in WWI, Weimar Republic, first democracy • Occupation produced German Democratic Republic (East Germany, Soviet-controlled) and Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) • GDR: one-party state dictatorship • Reunification in 1990 (with end of Cold War) • West Germany Post-WWII politics marked by class and religious cleavages • Christian Democratic Union (CDU) (broad support) • Social Democratic Party (SPD) (industrial workers) • Ongoing competition for governance between these parties in coalition with others

  11. Germany: Policies • Post-WWII revival under CDU remarkable • State intent on letting markets rule, only “as much state intervention as necessary” • Social market economy • Markets allocate resources; state makes sure it does so in socially responsible way • German Model faltered in 1980s • Growth, jobs declined • Consensus, patience, coordination, incremental change regarded as source of poor performance • Labor market increasingly divided between insiders and outsiders

  12. Germany: Institutions • Federal • Significant authority to EU • Federal Constitutional Court • Powerful, encompassing interest groups • Bicameralism • President (ceremonial), selects party leader to form government • Head of government is chancellor (majority in lower house) • Stable political and party system, consensual decision-making, incremental policy changes

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