ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the role of interest groups in the Nordic countries, especially their political role, but also the broader role of civil society and interest groups. A strong civil society with a robust capacity for solving collective problems; strong and well-organized business groups; a strong labour movement with high unionization rates; and public policy-making and implementation in close cooperation with interest groups are discussed in the chapter Even if parts of the corporatist structures have weakened in recent decades, a logic of privileging remains according to which some groups have a unique status in policy formation and implementation, and there are still traits of institutionalized involvement in the policy process. The chapter assesses some of the most important implications of the Nordic model. It discusses the advent of Scandinavian corporatism, its heyday and it's to some extent disputed decline. The chapter also discusses the present-day Scandinavian modern corporatism and its relevance.
