Public policy
Here you will find all the content related to the category 'public policy'.
2020.05.11 | Outlook, Ilkka Kärrylä, Public policy, Economy
Nordic public debt: the dangers of restricting public spending due to the covid-19 crisis
The prevailing economic doctrine in the Nordics and Europe has it that, the lower the public debt, the more room there is for economic stimulation in downturns, such as the current covid-19 crisis. Denmark, Norway and Sweden with their comparatively low levels of public debt were able to announce relatively large economic crisis packages fairly…
2020.04.16 | Outlook, Sami M Outinen, Public policy, Economy
The Nordic response to the Great Depression – an economic approach to the Corona crisis?
A look back at how Sweden and Finland dealt with two key crises in the twentieth century may be enlightening during the current Corona crisis. Firstly, the depression in 1930s, which led to Keynesian interventionalism - with some key differences - brought with it a series of steps throughout the following decades in both countries. Secondly, the…
2020.04.06 | Outlook, Johan Strang, Public policy, Nation building
Why do the Nordic countries react differently to the covid-19 crisis?
Given the striking similarity of the Nordic societies, it is interesting to note how differently some of them have reacted to the current covid-19 crisis. For example, Denmark and Norway were quick to implement a work and school lockdown and close their borders. In contrast, Sweden has raised international interest with a comparatively lax…
2020.03.19 | Article, Young-Kyu Shin, Petri Böckerman, Research, Public policy, The Nordic Model
Trade union-administered unemployment benefit and precarious workers in Finland
The Nordic countries have some of the highest trade union rates of membership in the world. This has by some been attributed to unemployment insurance being largely administered by trade unions. Since around 1910, unemployment insurance in the Nordic countries Denmark, Finland and Sweden has been based on a voluntary system (‘Ghent’), rather than…
2019.06.25 | Article, Helena Kaarina Blomberg, Pauli Kettunen, Public policy, Governance, Research
The Nordic welfare state: staying fit-for-purpose
There have been drastic changes to the political and economic climate since the inception of the Nordic welfare states in the twentieth century. Changes are required to meet the needs of today’s populations. People are less static than they once were; their roles both in and out of the job market change over time, and integration with the…
2019.05.28 | The Quick Read, Susanna Fellman, Economy, Public policy
The 'Nordic model' of capitalism
The five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) are often characterised as being welfare capitalist, featuring a combination of free market activity and government intervention. However, the institutional frameworks and economic policy models have changed over time, and the ‘model’ used has varied between countries and…
2019.02.25 | Article, Eric S. Einhorn, Public policy
Healthcare in the Nordics
The entire resident population of the Nordic region is covered by publicly financed comprehensive healthcare systems. These guarantee access to high quality healthcare at minimal or no direct patient cost. Access, treatment and public health are the three key dimensions to healthcare policy in the Nordic countries. Each element is tackled…
2019.02.25 | The Quick Read, Jenny Rood, Juliette Victor, Public policy
Hydroelectricity in the Nordic countries
Hydroelectricity is a significant source of energy particularly in Norway and Iceland. While Greenland has invested in hydroelectricity since 1990, the establishment of new facilities has stagnated elsewhere in the Nordics due to concern about the environmental impact.
2019.02.21 | Article, Norbert Götz, Public policy, Democracy
Corporatism and the Nordic countries
Corporatism is about the influence of organisations and interest groups on policy making. The Nordic countries are societies with strong interest groups, acknowledged and privileged by the state, that wield considerable influence on policy making and implementation. Corporatism, or neo-corporatism, is found within industrial relations, but is also…
2019.02.18 | Article, Kristina Bækker Simonsen, Multiculturalism, Public policy
Political approaches to immigration in Scandinavia since 1995
Immigration has been described as one of the policy areas where Denmark, Norway and Sweden have differed most since 1995. In 2018, Denmark was amongst the most restrictive countries in Western Europe, Sweden the most liberal and Norway somewhere in-between. These differences can be explained, at least to some extent, by divergent approaches to…