Nordic Social Democracy on the 12 Axes

The model grew from the Scandinavian labor movements of the early twentieth century. In Sweden, Per Albin Hansson promised a folkhemmet, a people's home, and the Saltsjöbaden Agreement of 1938 set the rules for bargaining between the LO unions and employers. Economists Gösta Rehn and Rudolf Meidner designed a solidaristic wage policy, and leaders such as Tage Erlander, Olof Palme and Norway's Einar Gerhardsen built universal pensions, health care, schooling and child care paid for by high taxes. Denmark added flexicurity, easy hiring and firing backed by generous benefits, and Norway saves its oil income in a sovereign wealth fund. Compared with social democracy in general, it relies more on universal programs and very high union membership. Compared with democratic socialism, it leaves most companies private and embraces open trade.

• Social Liberalism 83%Social liberalism holds that individual freedom requires real opportunity, so it pairs a market economy and civil liberties with public education, healthcare and social insurance.
• Liberal Socialism 83%Liberal socialism joins the socialist aims of equality and shared wealth with liberal commitments to civil rights, free elections, a mixed economy and the rule of law.
• Social Democracy 82%Social democracy accepts a market economy and parliamentary democracy but uses taxes, strong unions, regulation and a broad welfare state to reduce inequality and protect workers.
• Democratic Socialism 81%Democratic socialism aims to replace capitalism with social ownership of the economy, reached and governed through elections, civil liberties and multiparty democracy instead of revolution or one-party rule.