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Kerstin Enflo. Photo.

Kerstin Enflo

Professor

Kerstin Enflo. Photo.

Social Democracy and the Decline of Strikes

Author

  • Jakob Molinder
  • Tobias Karlsson
  • Kerstin Enflo

Summary, in English

This paper tests if a strong labor movement leads to fewer industrial conflicts. The focus is on Sweden between the first general election in 1919 and the famous Saltsjöbaden Agreement in 1938, a formative period when the country transitioned from fierce labor conflicts to a state of industrial peace. Using panel data techniques to analyze more than 2,000 strikes in 103 Swedish towns, we find that a shift of municipal political majority towards the Social Democrats led to a significant decline in local strike activity, but only in towns where union presence was strong. The strike-reducing mechanism is related to corporatist explanations rather than increased social spending in municipal budgets.

Department/s

  • Historical labour markets
  • Growth, technological change, and inequality
  • Centre for Economic Demography

Publishing year

2021

Language

English

Publication/Series

Lund papers in Economic history

Issue

2021:222

Document type

Working paper

Topic

  • Economic History

Keywords

  • Power Resource Theory
  • industrial conflicts
  • strikes
  • labor markets
  • local politics
  • N34
  • N44
  • H53
  • J51

Status

Published