BOOK REVIEW: The Rise and Fall of Swedish Social Democracy

Abstract

The Social Democratic Party (SAP) in Sweden held power from 1932 to 1976. The social democracy and welfare state model championed by SAP became so hegemonic that even the radical right-wing Sweden Democrats (SD) support the welfare state. The party’s ability to maintain its position can be attributed to the improvement of the Swedes’ quality of life through welfare state policies, development of democracy, achievement of income justice, and the expansion of social policies such as health insurance, housing, and child benefits. These policies sought to ensure social justice and secure the support of disadvantaged classes. Kjell Östberg’s book analyzes the rise and decline of SAP over an extended historical period, spanning from the mid-19th century—when capitalism began reshaping Swedish society—to the present day. The author aims to understand the rise and fall of social democracy in Sweden within the historical process of capitalist transformation and its aftermath. Employing the Marxist historical method—historical materialism—the author examines the reflection of class conflict on social democracy in Sweden and SAP’s response to capitalism’s contradictions.

Keywords

Sweden, Social Democracy

Citation

Furkan Yaman, "Kjell Östberg, The Rise and Fall of Swedish Social Democracy (London, Verso Books, 2024)" Uluslararası İlişkiler, Advanced Online Publication, 10 July 2025, pp. 1-4. DOI: 10.33458/uidergisi.1734745

Affiliations

Furkan YAMAN PhD Student, Department of European Union and International Economic Relations, Ankara University, Ankara E-Mail: [email protected] Orcid: 0000-0003-3257-5362