Economic essay

Sweden’s Experiment with Economic Democracy

Maximum page limit:  5 pages (1250 words)

Answer all questions

AssignedTexts:

· Barry Clark, “Swedish Economy

· Robin Blackburn, “Economic Democracy:  Meaningful, Desirable, Feasible?

· Philip Whyman, “Post Keynesianism, Socialization of Investment, and Swedish Wage Earner Funds

· Jonas Pontusson and Sarosh Kuruvilla, “Swedish Wage Earner Funds:  An Experiment in Social Democracy

· Class Lectures

1.  What does Robin Blackburn mean by the term “economic democracy?”  Why does he think that economic democracy is a good idea?  What are the problems to which economic democracy is the solution?  What are some of the varieties of economic democracy that have been tried?  (300 words)

2.  What does Whyman mean by “socialization of investment?”  What inherent problems are there in market capitalism that lead him to think that there should be socialization of a portion of a country’s industry?  (250 words)

3.  Using Whyman, Pontusson& Kuruvilla, and class lectures, explain the purpose and structure of the Swedish Wage Earner Funds.  Why were they instituted; how were they funded; were they effective?  (500 words)

You need to read these things to answer these questions 

Read:  Barry Clark, "Swedish Economy"

Read:  Robin Blackburn:  "Economic Democracy:  Meaningful, Desirable, Feasible?"

Read:  Philip Whyman, "Post-Keynesianism, Socialization of Investment, and Swedish Wage Earner Funds," Cambridge Journal of Economics, 2006

Read:  Jonas Pontusson and Sarosh Kuruvilla, "Swedish Wage Earner Funds:  An Experiment in Social Democracy"

View: The Secrets of the Nordic Model," YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU_pVLG1uI4

View:  How Scandavia Got It Right," George Lakey, YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXKmDbC1SF8