Från nykonservatism till socialliberalism? En förändringsstudie av Moderata Samlingspartiet
Author
Summary, in English
Abstract
This thesis discusses ideological and rhetorical change of the Moderate Party of Sweden. The aim of the thesis has been to study the party during a time-span of almost 20 years, trying to identify changes related to each of the three party leaders.
A hypothesis was developed, suggesting that the three party leaders each represented a different kind of ideology namely neo-conservatism, neo-liberalism and social liberalism. By studying newspaper articles and protocols from the Swedish Parliament, riksdagen, I was able to verify the hypothesis in all but the first party leader, Carl Bildt. It was showed that his ideology had more in common with New Right than with neo-liberalism.
After identifying these changes I looked for explanations within Party Strategy Theory and Social Change Theory. My conclusions were that the changes could be understood by the great loss of voters in the election of 2002 and that agents within the Moderate Party acted upon the ambition to win new and old voters to the party, thereby recognizing the need for change.
Keywords: Ideological Change, Rhetorical Change, The Moderate Party,
Neo-Liberalism, Neo-Conservatism, Social Liberalism.
This thesis discusses ideological and rhetorical change of the Moderate Party of Sweden. The aim of the thesis has been to study the party during a time-span of almost 20 years, trying to identify changes related to each of the three party leaders.
A hypothesis was developed, suggesting that the three party leaders each represented a different kind of ideology namely neo-conservatism, neo-liberalism and social liberalism. By studying newspaper articles and protocols from the Swedish Parliament, riksdagen, I was able to verify the hypothesis in all but the first party leader, Carl Bildt. It was showed that his ideology had more in common with New Right than with neo-liberalism.
After identifying these changes I looked for explanations within Party Strategy Theory and Social Change Theory. My conclusions were that the changes could be understood by the great loss of voters in the election of 2002 and that agents within the Moderate Party acted upon the ambition to win new and old voters to the party, thereby recognizing the need for change.
Keywords: Ideological Change, Rhetorical Change, The Moderate Party,
Neo-Liberalism, Neo-Conservatism, Social Liberalism.
Department/s
Publishing year
2005
Language
Swedish
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Document type
Student publication for Master's degree (one year)
Topic
- Law and Political Science
Keywords
- Ideological Change,
- Rhetorical Change,
- The Moderate Party,
- Neo-Liberalism,
- Neo-Conservatism,
- Social Liberalism
- Political and administrative sciences
- Statsvetenskap, förvaltningskunskap
Supervisor
- Anders Sannerstedt