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Dynamics of Policy and Politics: Politics of Unemployment in Sweden during the Interwar Period

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 May 2022

Jae-Hung Ahn
Jae-Hung Ahn*
Affiliation:
Ajou University Kyung Gi-Do, South Korea [[email protected]].
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Abstract

Inspired by the theoretical perspective that “new policies create a new politics,” this paper explores how unemployment policies affected the politics of tripartite relations in Sweden during the interwar period. After the economic depression of 1920, strike activities began to decrease. Our panel data analysis finds that after 1920, the strength of the relationship between unemployment and strike activities decreased substantially. Historical interpretations complement statistical analysis. In the 1920s, the implementation of unemployment policies entailed the following feedback effects: First, the state reinforced its capacities, gaining increasingly firm control over strike activities. Second, the union movement was plunged into internal conflicts. In contrast to the arguments of power resources theory and the theory of cross-class coalition, neither the empowerment of the Social Democratic Workers’ Party (SAP) nor employers’ lockouts induced the Confederation of Labor Unions (LO) to turn towards concertation. Rather, this turnaround occurred in the 1920s while LO coped with the feedback effects engendered endogenously in processes of the implementation of unemployment policies.

Résumé

Résumé

Inspiré par la perspective théorique selon laquelle « les nouvelles politiques publiques créent une nouvelle vie politique », cet article explore comment les politiques de l’emploi ont affecté la vie politique et les relations tripartites en Suède pendant l’entre-deux-guerres. Après la crise économique de 1920, les activités de grève ont commencé à diminuer. Notre analyse de données longitudinales révèle qu’après 1920, la force de la relation entre le chômage et les activités de grève a considérablement diminué. Les interprétations historiques complètent l’analyse statistique. Dans les années 1920, la mise en œuvre des politiques de lutte contre le chômage a entraîné les effets de rétroaction suivants : premièrement, l’État a renforcé ses capacités, acquérant un contrôle de plus en plus ferme sur les activités de grève. Deuxièmement, le mouvement syndical a été plongé dans des conflits internes. Contrairement aux arguments de la théorie des ressources de pouvoir et de la théorie de la coalition interclasse, ni l’autonomisation du Parti ouvrier social-démocrate (SAP) ni les lock-out patronaux n’ont incité la Confédération des unions de travailleurs (LO) à se tourner vers la concertation. Ce revirement s’est plutôt produit dans les années 1920 alors que la LO faisait face aux effets de rétroaction engendrés de manière endogène dans les processus de mise en œuvre des politiques de chômage.

Zusammenfassung

Zusammenfassung

Ausgehend von der theoretischen Perspektive, dass „neue Politiken eine neue Politik schaffen“, wird in diesem Beitrag untersucht, wie sich die Arbeitslosenpolitik auf die Politik der dreiseitigen Beziehungen im Schweden der Zwischenkriegszeit auswirkte. Nach der Wirtschaftsdepression von 1920 gingen die Streikaktivitäten zurück. Unsere Längsschnittanalyse zeigt, dass die nachhaltige Beziehung zwischen Arbeitslosigkeit und Streikaktivitäten nach 1920 erheblich abnahm. Historische Interpretationen ergänzen die statistische Analyse. Die Umsetzung der Arbeitslosenpolitik der 1920er Jahre führte zu folgenden Rückkopplungseffekten: Erstens verstärkte der Staat seine Kapazitäten, mit einer zunehmenden Kontrolle der Streikbewegungen. Zweitens war die Gewerkschaftsbewegung in interne Konflikte verwickelt. Im Gegensatz zu den Argumenten der Machtressourcentheorie und der Theorie der klassenübergreifenden Koalition haben weder das Erstarken der Sozialdemokratischen Arbeiterpartei (SAP) noch die Aussperrungen der Arbeitgeber den Gewerkschaftsbund (LO) zu einer konzertierten Aktion veranlasst. Vielmehr vollzog sich dieser Umschwung in den 1920er Jahren, als der LO sich mit den Rückkoppelungseffekten auseinandersetzen musste, die sich endogen aus den Prozessen der Umsetzung der Arbeitslosenpolitik ergaben.

Keywords

Industrial RelationsUnemployment PolicyFeedback EffectsPanel Data MethodHistorical InterpretationsRelations industriellesPolitique de l’emploiEffets de rétroactionMéthodes longitudinalesInterprétations historiquesIndustrielle BeziehungenArbeitslosenpolitikRückkopplungseffekteLängsschnittuntersuchungenhistorische Interpretationen
Type
Research Article
Information
European Journal of Sociology / Archives Européennes de Sociologie , Volume 63 , Issue 2 , August 2022 , pp. 279 - 320
Copyright
© European Journal of Sociology 2022

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Footnotes

Dong-Kun Kim at Ajou University, Jong-Hee Park at Seoul National University, and Hyeok-Yong Kwon at Korea University provided with invaluable comments on my statistical analysis.

References

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