1. Growth and consensus 1945-70

1. (a) Economic: strong, stable growth; national variations; role of government policy.

• Sweden: counter-cyclical policy; Labour Market Board.

• Norway: state planning and nationalisation; North Norway Plan 1952. Statoil.

• Finland: Soviet reparations as stimulus; rapid but uneven growth; class conflict.

• Denmark: shift from agriculture to manufacturing industry in 1950s and '60s.

1. (b) Political: Consensus; social democrats dominant. Finland: more polarised; role of president (Paasikivi 1946-56, Kekkonen 1956-81).

(c) Problems: Inflation; high taxation; insistence on conformity (see R. Huntford, The New Totalitarians).

2. The crisis of the 'Scandinavian model'? 1970-99

1. (a) 1970s:

• Economic: faltering growth. Oil price rise 1973; Swedish policy mistakes; Norwegian oil; Finnish success; Danish weakness.
• Political: fragmentation of traditional party system (esp. Denmark); 'welfare backlash'; revolt against high taxation (e.g. Ingmar Bergman, Astrid Lindgren); anti-system parties (e.g. Mogens Glistrup's Progress (anti-tax) Party); new issues - e.g. environment.
• Challenge of European integration - 1972 referendum in Norway; Denmark joins EEC 1973.

1. (b) 1980s - 90s:

• Economic - mixed fortunes (Denmark, Norway, Sweden do well; then hit by recession; Finland hit by collapse of USSR).

• Political - further instability - e.g. Sweden 1991.

• Challenge of European integration: 1994: Sweden and Finland join EU; Norway stays out.

• Challenge of collapse of USSR and emergence of new states in Baltic region.