Successful Public Policy in the Nordic Countries: Cases, Lessons, Challenges

by Caroline de la Porte (Editor), Guðný Björk Eydal (Editor), Jaakko Kauko (Editor), Daniel Nohrstedt (Editor), Paul 't Hart (Editor)

Overview

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International licence. It is free to read at Oxford Scholarship Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations. This book presents twenty-three in-depth case studies of successful public policies and programs in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Iceland. Each chapter tells the story of the policy's origins, aims, design, decision-making, and implementation processes, and assesses in which respects - programmatically, process-wise, politically, and over time - and to what extent it can be considered to have been successful. It also points towards the driving forces of success, and the challenges that have had to be overcome to achieve it. Combined, the chapters provide a resource for researchers, educators, and students of public policy both within and beyond the Nordic region.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780192669766
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	09/01/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Caroline de la Porte is Professor of European and Comparative Social Policy at Copenhagen Business School. She is a leading scholar in the Europeanization of welfare states. She is particularly interested in why, how, and with which effects EU policy and law influences welfare state reform in member states. In recent years, her work has also focused on Nordic public policies, especially in the area of family policy. Guðný Björk Eydal is Professor at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Iceland. Her main research field is social, family, and child-care policies in the Nordic countries. Currently, Eydal is directing a long-term research project on the outcome of the paid parental leave legislation in Iceland. She has also been directing a Nordic research project in the field of disaster studies, 'The Nordic Welfare Watch in Response to Changes'. Daniel Nohrstedt is Professor of Political Science at the Department of Government at Uppsala University, Sweden, where he also serves as research coordinator in the Centre of Natural Hazards and Disaster Science (CNDS). His research interests include policy processes in comparative perspective, policy-making after extreme events, and collaborative governance. Jaakko Kauko is Professor of Education Policy at the Faculty of Education and Culture, Tampere University, where he co-leads the research group EduKnow (Knowledge, Power, and Politics in Education). His research focuses on the fields of education policy and comparative education. He is currently leading the Academy of Finland-funded project 'Transnational Knowledge Networks in Higher Education Policymaking'. Paul 't Hart is Professor of Public Administration at Utrecht University. His research interests include positive public administration, political and public service leadership, crisis management, and group dynamics in government. Bent Sofus Tranøy is Professor of Political Science at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences and at Kristiania University College. He has published in the fields of comparative and international political economy, public policy, organization theory, qualitative methods, and history of science. He was previously employed as a post doc and Associate Professor at the University of Oslo.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Studying Successful Public Policy in the Nordic Countries, Caroline de la Porte, Guðný Björk Eydal, Jaakko Kauko, Daniel Nohrstedt, Paul 't Hart, and Bent Sofus TranøyPart I Denmark Successes2. Organic Food and Farming Policy in Denmark: Promoting a Transition to Green Growth, Carsten Daugbjerg and Yonatan Schvartzman3. The Success of Danish Wind Energy Innovation Policy: Combining Visionary Politics and Pragmatic Policy Making, Rinie van Est4. Early childhood education and care in Denmark: A Social Investment Success, Trine P. Larsen and Caroline de la Porte5. “Living Longer, Working Longer”: An Unlikely Retirement Policy Success?, Fritz von Nordheim and Jon Kvist6. Cancer Treatment Policy in Denmark, Peter TriantafillouPart II Norway Successes7. Gender Quotas for Corporate Boards: A Qualified Success in Changing Male Dominance in the Boardroom, Mari Teigen8. Student Financing for Social Equity in Norway, 1947-2020, Jostein Askim9. Promoting and Democratising Literature: A Norwegian Policy Success, Paul Bjerke, Birgitte Kjos Fonn, and Lars Julius Halvorsen10. Negotiating Dilemmas of the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund, Camilla Bakken Øvald and Bent Sofus TranøyPart III Sweden Successes11. An All Too Successful Reform? The 1997 Overhaul of the Swedish Budget Process, Andreas Bergh12. The Swedish Carbon Tax: A Resilient Success, Roger Hildingsson and Åsa Knaggård13. Gender Equal Parental Leave Use in Sweden: The Success of the Reserved Months, Ann-Zofie Duvander and Sofie Cedstrand14. Sweden's Policy of Neutrality: Success Through Flexibility?, Douglas Brommesson, Ann-Marie Ekengren, and Anna Michalski15. The Swedish Child Vaccination Program, Paula BlomqvistPart IV Iceland Successes16. Civil Protection Policies in Iceland: Collaboration Between Authorities and Volunteer Organizations, Ásthildur Elva Bernharðsdóttir and Steinunn Hrafnsdóttir17. Towards an Icelandic Renewable and Sustainable Energy System, Brynhildur Davíðsdóttir18. Paid Parental Leave in Iceland: Increasing Gender Equality at Home and on the Labour Market Through Paid Earmarked Parental Leave, Ásdís Aðalbjörg Arnalds, Guðný Björk Eydal, and Ingólfur V. Gíslason19. Back From the Brink: Iceland's Successful Economic Recovery, Bent Sofus Tranøy and Throstur Olaf SigurjonssonPart V Finland Successes20. The Finnish Baby Box: From a Volunteer Initiative to a Renown Social Security Benefit, Ella Näsi and Karoliina Koskenvuo21. Quality in Finnish Comprehensive Schools: Entrenching Enhancement-led Evaluation, Jaakko Kauko, Hannele Pitkänen, and Janne Varjo22. The Finnish Model of Conscription: A Successful Policy to Organize National Defence, Jarkko Kosonen and Juha Mälkki23. Gender Quotas for Municipal Executive Bodies in Finland, Anne Maria Holli24. Housing First: Combatting Long-term Homelessness in Finland, Kirsi Juhila, Suvi Raitakari, and Johanna Ranta