SWEDISH SOCIAL DEMOCRACY: AT THE CROSSROADS.

This article presents information on Swedish social democracy. The Social Democrats and unions chose a policy orientation adopted for influencing an economy that was, and was expected to remain, predominantly capitalist. The post-war program of the Swedish labor movement enhanced the notion of increased control of the public over the production system. This control implied mainly a more extensive government steering of the total economy by various types of economic policy. it was generally assumed that this type of economic control was compatible with private ownership. Many goals were seen to be common for management and wage earners, increased economic growth, structural rationalization and economic stability. The Social Democratic government adopted a policy of "planned economy" wherein the task of the State was to remove obstacles and factors causing sluggishness in the market, ease the mobility and adaptation of productive factors and deliberately encourage the most expansive tendencies. Welfare policy emphasized the efficiency and productivity of the economy and tried to accelerate economic growth, create higher levels of income and consumption, improve social services, increase educational standards.