ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the interrelationship between neoliberalism and economic inequality through a comparison of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, using Sweden as a main case and the other three major Nordic countries as comparative cases. The argument is that the relationship between neoliberalism and inequality isn’t a one-way street, but rather a question of mutual determination. Neoliberal policies – decreased welfare state generosity, tax cuts and weakening of trade unions – have contributed to the rise in inequality, but much of the rise in inequality depends on economic restructuring, which is tied up with policy changes in complex and mutually interdependent ways. Building on the literature on neoliberalism and research on economic inequality, the chapter proposes an historical approach to the issues, emphasizing the interplay of economics and politics.
