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Argues that the exceptionally egalitarian, individualistic, and work-oriented features of traditional Swedish culture have made the welfare state viable. Implications for ex-communist countries; some comparisons to outcomes of similar policies in Great Britain and the US.

The extent to which the "Swedish model" is an intricate web of historically rooted sociocultural patterns is explored. A comparative historical analysis of the relationships between Swedish welfare policies & institutions in areas like labor market relations & family policy, on the one hand, & the Swedish work ethic, individualism, & family structure, on the other, suggests that the Swedish welfare state, which has become so firmly associated with the past fifty years of Social Democratic hegemony, was made possible by & still depends on cultural proclivities that are of ancient origins. From this perspective, the relevance & usefulness of the Swedish experience for reformers in Eastern Europe lies less in its being a transportable model & more in indicating the crucial but complex relationship between culture & political reform, & the awesome challenge that the (re)construction of political & economic culture poses. AA

Reviews the cooperation between the Social Democratic & Green Parties during the Swedish election of 2002. 2 Tables, 5 References.

The researchers conducted a survey among Swedes that first looked at whether respondents had a good grasp of where they fell on the spectrum of their country's income distribution. They did not: When asked to estimate the percentage of their compatriots who earned a yearly income below their own, 74% of respondents were off by more than 10 percentage points. The vast majority (92%) of those who guessed wrongly underestimated their own positions -- meaning, they thought they were poorer than their compatriots. All those surveyed were also asked several questions meant to assess their political leanings. Adapted from the source document.

The researchers conducted a survey among Swedes that first looked at whether respondents had a good grasp of where they fell on the spectrum of their country's income distribution. They did not: When asked to estimate the percentage of their compatriots who earned a yearly income below their own, 74% of respondents were off by more than 10 percentage points. The vast majority (92%) of those who guessed wrongly underestimated their own positions -- meaning, they thought they were poorer than their compatriots. All those surveyed were also asked several questions meant to assess their political leanings. Adapted from the source document.