The Quest for a Divided Welfare State Sweden in the Era of Privatiza
This book deals with the quest for a divided welfare state in Sweden. The prime example is the rapid rise of private health insurance, which now constitutes a parallel system characterized by state subsidies for some and not for others. This functions as
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The Quest for a Divided Welfare State Sweden in the Era of Privatization
The Quest for a Divided Welfare State
John Lapidus
The Quest for a Divided Welfare State Sweden in the Era of Privatization
John Lapidus Department of Economy and Society University of Gothenburg Gothenburg, Sweden
ISBN 978-3-030-24783-6 ISBN 978-3-030-24784-3 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24784-3 © The Editor(s) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Preface
I am 46 years old. Thus, I have lived with the Swedish welfare model long enough to see it change in many ways. Or did I really see it? Transformation is not overnight, and we may all have a lagging self-image of our countries and their development. Gradually, we move towards a divided welfare state with all its characteristics. Increased inequality. Increased invisibility. And ever-more actors who push for further division, often with anti-intellectual arguments where the most stupid one is that division is perfectly in line with the principles of a universal welfare state. The twisted debate arises when the advocates of a divided welfare state realize that universalism is still popular in people’s minds, and that it must therefore be referred to even when proposals go in the opposite direction. For how long will such tactics be necessary? The wind of change blows hard and it modifies not only the model itself, but also our perception of welfare as a civil right. There is a strong quest for a divided welfare state and a weak defence for universalism. Development is not set in stone, however, and above all, it is not eco
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