ABSTRACT
One of Sweden’s most prominent politicians, Tage Erlander, coined the term the ‘strong society’ in the 1960s to capture his and social democratic expectations. Social movements were important, but government became the main force that reshaped society and changed the boundary of the political. Few people viewed this development critically, for the strong society linked government with civil society and, under the specific circumstances of the period, accomplished many impressive, and, for other countries, enviable political tasks. The Swedish concept of the people implies social solidarity and responsibility. Its origin as a concept for equality among social groups can be traced far back in Swedish history. Universal suffrage transformed Sweden’s political landscape in several ways. The social democratic government benefitted from the improvement of Sweden’s economic situation that began in 1933. During World War II, Sweden was governed by a grand coalition composed of the Social Democratic, Liberal, Agrarian, and Conservative Parties.
