ABSTRACT
There is a strong notion of exceptionalism associated with the concept of a Swedish welfare state model, both internationally and in the country itself (Palme, 2015). The model has been associated not only with the character of social welfare policies as such but also with people’s egalitarian living conditions. In addition, the way in which decisions have been made in a research-based and rational fashion is supposed to have contributed to the “modern” character of the system, including its continuous adaptation to changing structural conditions. The Swedish model has often been seen as the clearest case of a Scandinavian social democratic welfare state model, and while the imprints of a social democratic ideology are obvious, it is also clear that other ideas and interests have made their marks.
