Client organizations in a corporatist country

Pensioners' organizations and pension policy in Sweden

Bibliographic Data

ID12256247
AuthorsDavid Feltenius (0000-0001-8392-5292, Umeå University, corresponding author)
Year2007
Volume17
Issue2
Pages139-151
Publication date2007-04-16
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of European Social Policy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0958-9287 • E-ISSN: 1461-7269
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0958928707075203
OpenAlexW2006160088
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited26

In this article, the relevance of Paul Pierson's argument about the important role played by organizations for welfare clients is scrutinized. This is done through a case-study of pensioners' organizations in Sweden and their influence on pension policy between 1980 and 2002. In terms of Pierson's argument, Sweden is considered to be a least likely candidate, because its strong labour movement is expected to crowd out other organized interests from the policy process. The investigation reveals, however, that pensioners' organizations have been able to exert influence on pension policy on different occasions. Their influence is explained by their high rating as an organization, which enables them to represent an important group of voters. These findings contradict previous research suggesting that client organizations are weak, particularly in corporatist countries with a strong labour movement, and demonstrate that Pierson's argument also has relevance in such countries

Argument (complex analysis · Economics · Labour economics · Market economy · Pension · Political economy · Political science · Relevance (law · Welfare · Housing, Finance, and Neoliberalism · Law · Political and Economic history of UK and US · Social Policy and Reform Studies

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