The Nordic Model, democratic socialism, taxes, welfare, health care, unions and the institutions behind Denmark’s social democracy.
IN DENMARK, COFFEE IS NOT A LITTLE REWARD YOU EARN AFTER BEING PRODUCTIVE. IT IS PART OF THE MACHINERY THAT MAKES THE DAY RUN. At work, at home, after dinner, with cake, without cake: coffee marks a pause, a conversation…
AMERICANS OFTEN POINT AT DENMARK AND SAY “DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM.” DANES USUALLY SEE A MARKET ECONOMY WITH A LARGE WELFARE STATE. THE DIFFERENCE IS NOT PEDANTRY. Most Danish companies are privately owned. People start businesses, make profits, buy homes, invest and…
THE DANISH WELFARE STATE DOES NOT ARRIVE ONLY FROM A MINISTRY IN COPENHAGEN. A LARGE PART OF IT SHOWS UP THROUGH YOUR MUNICIPALITY. Denmark has 98 municipalities. They handle primary schools, childcare, elder care, disability services, local roads, waste, job…
DENMARK HAS MANY PARTIES, FREQUENT NEGOTIATIONS AND GOVERNMENTS THAT OFTEN NEED HELP FROM OUTSIDE THEIR OWN CABINET. SOMEHOW THE LIGHTS REMAIN ON. The Folketing has 179 seats, including two elected in Greenland and two in the Faroe Islands. Danish elections…
A WELFARE STATE HAS A LOT OF POWER OVER ORDINARY LIFE. DENMARK’S ANSWER IS NOT “TRUST US.” IT INCLUDES A PLACE TO COMPLAIN WHEN THE STATE GETS IT WRONG. The Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman is elected by the Folketing and investigates…
DENMARK SELLS ITSELF AS A GREEN-ENERGY PIONEER. DENMARK ALSO PUMPS OIL AND GAS FROM THE NORTH SEA. BOTH SENTENCES ARE TRUE. Danish offshore production began in 1972. The revenue, exports and jobs helped finance national prosperity and the welfare state.…
A CLIMATE TARGET IS EASY TO ANNOUNCE. DENMARK’S MORE INTERESTING DECISION WAS TO FORCE FUTURE GOVERNMENTS TO KEEP SHOWING THEIR WORK. The 2020 Climate Act made a 70 percent reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2030, compared with 1990, a legal…
DENMARK’S OFFSHORE WIND FARMS DID NOT FLOAT INTO THE NORTH SEA ON GOOD INTENTIONS. THE STATE CHOSE SITES, WROTE RULES, BUILT CONNECTIONS AND CREATED A MARKET. In Danish waters, the right to exploit wind belongs to the state. Most large…
DENMARK CLEANED UP MUCH OF ITS ELECTRICITY STORY FIRST. THE HARDER CHAPTER HAS FOUR LEGS, A DIESEL TRACTOR AND A LOT OF LAND. Denmark is a major agricultural exporter. Pork, dairy and crops are part of the national economy and…
BEFORE DENMARK BECAME A WELFARE-STATE CASE STUDY, FARMERS WERE ALREADY LEARNING TO SHARE MACHINERY, MARKETS AND POWER. The cooperative movement expanded rapidly in the late nineteenth century. Farmers pooled milk in cooperative dairies, organized slaughterhouses and purchased supplies together. One…