SAMFUNNSVITENSKAPELIG EMBETSEKSAMEN VÅR 2012
Statsvitenskap, STV1510 – Nordic Politics
Monday May 14, 4 hours
You are to answer both exercise 1 and exercise 2. Each exercise will be weighted equally (50% each) for the final evaluation.
Exercise 1: here you are to answer either essay A or essay B
A:
New parties that are not part of the Scandinavian/Nordic five party system model have emerged and gained significant electoral support in the various Nordic countries since the 1960s. Arter identifies four new types of parties. Describe these parties in the five Nordic countries and emphasise their political profiles, which party families they belong to and the political roles they have played in each of the five Nordic countries.
What can explain the emergence and persistent support for these parties in the Nordic countries?
B:
Discuss whether there exists a Scandinavian model for reforms in the public sector. Use the following factors in your discussion: constitutional or structural factors related to the political-administrative system, features of political and administrative culture, and features of the environment.
There is also a fact that there is variety inside the Scandinavian reform model. Give examples of this variety from Denmark, Norway and Sweden, alluding to the three factors mentioned above.
Exercise 2: Here you are to answer three of the following four questions (a-d). The answers will be weighted equally for the final evaluation, and together they will count for 50% of the final evaluation.
a) Outline Stein Rokkan’s triangular model of electoral fronts and describe main trends in the voting behaviour of various social classes in the Scandinavian countries. Discuss how relevant Rokkan’s model is for understanding the social cleavages and electoral competition in the Nordic countries.
b) First, describe the basic features of the Nordic welfare state model. Then, discuss David Arter’s argument that gender equality is intrinsic to this model.
c) Give an historical overview of the relationship between each of the Nordic states and the EU and explain why these countries at present differ regarding affiliation to the EU.
d) What does Jean-Pascal Daloz mean by “conspicuous modesty”? Outline dimensions of the concept or ways in which “conspicuous modesty” is expressed, and describe how “conspicuous modesty” is shown among politicians in the Nordic countries.