Spreading the wealth: a step by step guide to the Swedish socialist model; what it is, what it does, and why America desperately needs it
| Autor | Joseph Ronald Signore |
| Cargo | J.D. Candidate at Thurgood Marshall School of Law (Houston, USA). Master of Arts M.A. at Webster University. Bachelor of Science B.S. at Park Univeristy |
| Páginas | 31-62 |
Licenciado sob uma Licença Creative Commons
Licensed under Creative Commons
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Revista de Investigações Constitucionais, Curitiba, vol. 4, n. 2, p. 31-62, maio/ago. 2017.
Como citar esse artigo/How to cite this article: SIGNORE, Joseph. Spreading The Wealth: A Step By Step Guide To The Swedish
Socialist Model; What It Is, What It Does, And Why America Desperately Needs It. Revista de Investigações Constitucionais,
Curitiba, vol. 4, n. 2, p. 31-62, maio/ago. 2017. DOI: 10.5380/rinc.v4i2.51612.
* The author wishes to thank Professor Thomas Kleven, who supervised an initial version of this article as an Independent Re-
search project and whose suggestions greatly contributed to the author’s thinking about the topic. Without the guidance of
Professor Kleven this paper would not have been possible. Muchas Gracias por ser un gran professor y amigo.
** J.D. Candidate at Thurgood Marshall School of Law (Houston, USA). Master of Arts M.A. at Webster University. Bachelor of
Science B.S. at Park Univeristy. E-mail: j.signore0416@student.tsu.edu.
Revista de Investigações Constitucionais
ISSN 2359-5639
DOI: 10.5380/rinc.v4i2.51612
Spreading the wealth: a step by step guide to the
Swedish socialist model; what it is, what it does,
and why America desperately needs it*
Difundindo a riqueza: um guia passo a passo para o
modelo socialista sueco; o que é, o que faz e porque os
Estados Unidos precisam desesperadamente dele
JOSEPH SIGNORE**
Thurgood Marshall School of Law (United States of America)
j.signore0416@student.tsu.edu
Recebido/Received: 04.04.2017 / April 04th, 2017
Aprovado/Approved: 24.04.2017 / April 24th, 2017
Abstract
The goal of the paper is to learn what democratic social-
ism is and to discuss the history of the Swedish Social
Democratic Party (SAP), what their model is, and how it
works. Despite the fears Americans have of socialism,
Sweden is home to some of the happiest people in the
world. This must mean the fears that Americans have
of socialism are unfounded. The Swedish people bene-
t from a wide range of socialist programs – programs
which, if instituted in America, would be very popular.
Once a thorough understanding of democratic socialism
has been achieved, this paper illustrate examples of its
use in America. It explore the various ways America has
already beneted from democratic socialism and how
Americans can move away from capitalism and towards a
Resumo
O artigo tem o objetivo de aprender o que é o socialismo de-
mocrático e discutir a história do partido social democrático
sueco (SAP), que tipo de modelo ele é e como ele funciona.
A despeito do medo que os estadunidenses detêm do so-
cialismo, a Suécia abriga um dos locais com pessoas mais
felizes no mundo. Isso deve signicar que o medo que os es-
tadunidenses têm sobre o socialismo está errado. Os suecos
se beneciam de um gama de programas sociais importan-
tes, programas que, instituídos nos Estados Unidos, seriam
bastante populares. Uma vez realizada uma compreensão
minuciosa do que o socialismo democrático alcançou, este
trabalho ilustra exemplo de seu uso nos Estados Unidos. O
trabalho explora os vários meios em que os Estados Unidos
já se beneciaram do socialismo democrático e como os
Revista de Investigações Constitucionais, Curitiba, vol. 4, n. 2, p. 31-62, maio/ago. 2017.
JOSEPH SIGNORE
32
CONTENTS
1. Introduction; 2. Historical Background; 3. The Swedish Socialist Model; 4. Examples of American So-
cialism; 5. Is America a True Democracy?; 6. Restoring American Democracy; 7. Moving Towards the
Swedish Socialist Model; 8. Starting the Political Revolution; 9. References.
1. INTRODUCTION
Democratic Socialism is a term that is often derided in America. Just hearing the
word ‘socialism’ brings up images of the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin or North Ko-
rea under Kim Jong-un. These harsh images, however, are only two examples of what
socialism can be. The word socialism is dened as a social system in which the means of
producing and distributing goods are owned collectively. The whole community exer-
cises political power in this system.1 As long as the government employing socialism
listens to the will of the people, and institutes programs that are benecial, it can and
does work.
One of the best examples of democratic socialism can be found in Sweden.
Sweden is one of the largest countries in Europe that uses a democratic socialist system.
Despite the fears Americans have of socialism, Sweden is home to some of the happiest
people in the world. According to a survey of 156 countries and their level of life con-
tentment, Sweden ranked 10th in overall happiness.2 Coincidentally, the top four spots
go to countries that use this type of system: Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and The
Netherlands. In comparison, Americans ranked 13th.3 How could this be? A country
based on socialist ideals could not possibly have happier citizens than the ones found
in America. This must mean the fears that Americans have of socialism are unfounded.
The Swedish people benet from a wide range of socialist programs – programs which,
if instituted in America, would be very popular. The goal of this paper is to learn what
1 THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY. 4. New York: Houghton Miin Company, 2011. p. 785.
2 HETTER, Katia. Where are the world’s happiest countries? CNN, [s.l.], mar. 2016. Available on:
travel/world’s-happiest-countries-united-nations>.
3 HETTER, Katia. Where are the world’s happiest countries? CNN, [s.l.], mar. 2016. Available on:
travel/world’s-happiest-countries-united-nations>.
model such as this. In the end, two points become clear;
one, that democratic socialism works, and two, that dem-
ocratic socialism has been an American ideal all along.
Keywords: Democratic socialism; Swedish model; Amer-
ica; social programs; Welfare State.
estadunidenses podem deixar de lado o capitalismo para um
modelo como esse. Ao m, dois pontos cam claros; um, o
socialismo democrático funciona, e dois; o socialismo demo-
crático tem sido um ideal dos Estados Unidos desde sempre.
Palavras-chave: Socialismo democrático; modelo sueco;
Estados Unidos; programas sociais; Estado Social.
Spreading the wealth: a step by step guide to the Swedish socialist model; what it is, what it does, and why America desperately needs it
33
Revista de Investigações Constitucionais, Curitiba, vol. 4, n. 2, p. 31-62, maio/ago. 2017.
democratic socialism is and to discuss the history of the Swedish Social Democratic
Party (SAP), what their model is, and how it works.
Once a thorough understanding of democratic socialism has been achieved,
this paper will then illustrate examples of its use in America. It will explore the various
ways America has already beneted from democratic socialism and how Americans can
move away from capitalism and towards a model such as this.
In the end, two points will become clear; one, that democratic socialism works,
and two, that democratic socialism has been an American ideal all along.
2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
In the early 1880s, Sweden was a class system with a high concentration of ca-
pital within a tiny group of wealthy families.4 There existed a small middle class, and
a mass of peasants living in the countryside.5 Poverty was widespread.6 It was in this
environment that the Swedish Social Democratic Labor Party (SAP) was formed in
1889.7 In the beginning, the party was formed on two goals, universal surage and
the eight-hour workday.8 By 1911, the SAP was becoming an important political force
in Sweden but was still incapable of achieving its own political goals.9 The SAP achie-
ved this power in 1932 during an economic depression.10 The depression became the
SAP’s central theme of that election year.11 The SAP proposed an economic plan for
combating the crisis. It focused on extensive employment relief programs and state
unemployment insurance.12 The plans the SAP formed helped the party to win its rst
major victory, which allowed them to create their own form of government.13
4 MISGELD, Klaus et al. (Eds.). Creating Social Democracy: a century of the social democratic labor party in Sweden. Pen-
nsylvania: Penn State Press, 1993.
5 MISGELD, Klaus et al. (Eds.). Creating Social Democracy: a century of the social democratic labor party in Sweden. Pen-
nsylvania: Penn State Press, 1993.
6 MISGELD, Klaus et al. (Eds.). Creating Social Democracy: a century of the social democratic labor party in Sweden. Pen-
nsylvania: Penn State Press, 1993.
7 MISGELD, Klaus et al. (Eds.). Creating Social Democracy: a century of the social democratic labor party in Sweden. Pen-
nsylvania: Penn State Press, 1993. p. xvii.
8 MISGELD, Klaus et al. (Eds.). Creating Social Democracy: a century of the social democratic labor party in Sweden. Pen-
nsylvania: Penn State Press, 1993. p. xvii.
9 MISGELD, Klaus et al. (Eds.). Creating Social Democracy: a century of the social democratic labor party in Sweden. Pen-
nsylvania: Penn State Press, 1993. p. xvii.
10 MISGELD, Klaus et al. (Eds.). Creating Social Democracy: a century of the social democratic labor party in Sweden. Pen-
nsylvania: Penn State Press, 1993.
11 MISGELD, Klaus et al. (Eds.). Creating Social Democracy: a century of the social democratic labor party in Sweden. Pen-
nsylvania: Penn State Press, 1993.
12 MISGELD, Klaus et al. (Eds.). Creating Social Democracy: a century of the social democratic labor party in Sweden. Pen-
nsylvania: Penn State Press, 1993.
13 MISGELD, Klaus et al. (Eds.). Creating Social Democracy: a century of the social democratic labor party in Sweden. Pen-
nsylvania: Penn State Press, 1993.
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