Papers by Erik Lundberg
During the last decade, the EU has had an explicit strategy to include civil society organization... more During the last decade, the EU has had an explicit strategy to include civil society organizations (CSOs) in European public policy. However, the extent to which domestic CSOs are oriented towards the EU in their policy interests and strategies is influenced by various factors. This article examines to what extent and in what ways CSOs acknowledge the impact of the EU on their substantive policy agenda and under what conditions they would prioritise EU-level contacts and/or lobbying in their strategies. We are particularly interested in finding out which institutional linkages – if any – determine the extent to which domestic CSOs direct their policy activity towards the EU level. The article is based on a survey of 880 Swedish CSO’s as well as qualitative interviews with 17 CSOs within the policy areas of anti-discrimination, immigration and asylum in Sweden, United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The results show that although CSOs recognise the importance of the EU-level and also try to influence EU policy, their priorities and orientation are primarily directed towards the
domestic level. From our empirical findings, we argue that in order to understand the limited Europeanization of CSOs, national dependency on financial support and to some extent formal embedding in national welfare systems are key factors. The findings indicate some differences
between the organizations’ approaches, which to some extent can be attributed to policy area and organizational character. Policy areas with strong EU legislation implemented at national levels such
as anti-discrimination seemingly underpins stronger linkages to local and national governments and thus less EU orientation.
Consulting interest groups is commonplace in the preparation of policies by democratic government... more Consulting interest groups is commonplace in the preparation of policies by democratic governments. It is often assumed that interest groups participate in consultations primarily for the purpose of influencing policy. This article goes beyond this simplified claim and empirically explores the role of consultations from the vantage point of interest groups. Drawing on the Swedish formalized referral process known as the “remiss procedure” the article show that interest groups do not only participate in consultations in order to effectively change the policy proposal under consideration, they also use the output of the process in other venues for policy influence, such as direct political contacts and opinion-making, and to establish themselves, or maintain their status as legitimate actors in the eyes of the government. In addition, the remiss procedure appear to be intertwined with the groups’ own “internal life,” promoting the development and anchorage of policy positions within the organizations. These insights are important for further understanding the promises as well as the perils of public consultation.
Solid or Flexible? Social Trust from Early Adolescence to Young Adulthood
The belief that people are generally fair and trustworthy has generated plenty of scholarly atten... more The belief that people are generally fair and trustworthy has generated plenty of scholarly attention in recent decades, particularly in the Scandinavian countries, which are often known for high levels of social trust. This article draws attention to the current discussion in the literature on whether social trust is a stable cultural trait marked by persistence or is based on experiences and subject to change throughout life. Based on unique longitudinal data from five different cohorts of young people in Sweden, ranging in age from 13 to 28 years, this article provides an empirical contribution on how social trust develops over time. The results show that there is a greater degree of instability in social trust between 13 and 15 years of age than in other age groups, and that social trust appears to stabilize with age. Findings also indicate that there are substantial inter-individual differences in social trust among young people within the same age group, both in initial levels and in the rates of change over time. The article concludes that although social trust is relatively stable it tends to crystallize in early adulthood, highlighting the relevance of the impressionable-years hypothesis.
This chapter describes how European civil societies promote integration in the EU by comparing le... more This chapter describes how European civil societies promote integration in the EU by comparing leading practices from various NGOs in Sweden, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Italy. The chapter concludes that NGOs are active in areas where governments are weak, or, according to the NGOs, do not meet the expected requirements. All NGOs studied here are more or less dependent on public funds, and a lack of funds impedes their ability to access and connect with EU decision-makers and administrative staff. Small NGOs and similar networks in particular have difficulties meeting and influencing politicians and the administrative staff within the EU. It is therefore of utmost importance that policy-makers in the EU create more participatory opportunities for various NGOs, which would simultaneously strengthen the organisation’s legitimacy and relevance. It is worth nothing that the NGOs studied here articulate surprisingly few national variations with regard to the preconditions underlyi...
Offentlig Forvaltning Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration, 2013
Martin Karlsson är filosofie doktor i statskunskap vid Örebro universitet och disputerade 2013 på... more Martin Karlsson är filosofie doktor i statskunskap vid Örebro universitet och disputerade 2013 på avhandlingen "Covering distance: Essays on representation and political communication". Martins forskning kretsar kring frågor om politisk kommunikation, politisk representation och medborgerligt politiskt deltagande.
Hogre Utbildning, 2012
Nyckelord: Kursutvärdering, sociala markörer, kön, ålder, studenters läraromdömen Under senare år... more Nyckelord: Kursutvärdering, sociala markörer, kön, ålder, studenters läraromdömen Under senare år har studenters läraromdömen allt mer hamnat i fokus inom skola såväl som högre utbildning. Parallellt med dessa utvecklingar har olika typer av internettjänster genom vilka studenter kan betygsätta sina lärare dykt upp i flera länder. I Sverige lanserades 2008 tjänsten "Studenter tycker till" (STT) där studenter kan registrera sig och fylla i bedömningar av lärare enligt kriterierna utlärningsförmåga, kunskap, engagemang och lärandestöd. I denna studie undersöks betydelsen av lärarens kön och ålder för studenters läraromdömen genom en kvantitativ analys av omdömen av 98 högskole-och universitetslärare som givits på hemsidan STT. Syftet är att synliggöra hur sociala markörer, i detta fall om läraren är man eller kvinna, ung eller gammal, spelar en stor roll för hur en lärare utvärderas. Resultaten visar att kvinnor och unga lärare systematiskt ges lägre betyg av studenter, än män och äldre lärare. Studenter är således inte könsblinda eller oberoende av föreställningar om förhållandet mellan ålder och kompetens i sina bedömningar. Studien aktualiserar betydelsen av sociala markörer så som kön och ålder måste synliggöras och tas i beaktning när studenters utvärderingar av lärare och kurser behandlas inom högre utbildning.
Scandinavian Political Studies, 2012
This article focuses on the changing level of participation of voluntary organisations in the pol... more This article focuses on the changing level of participation of voluntary organisations in the policy process between 1964 and 2009 and its implication for the role played by voluntary organisations to the state. Drawing on data from the remiss procedure, one of the most understudied parts of the Swedish policymaking process, the results of this article implicate a reduced role for voluntary organisations in formal arenas for policymaking. While the number of participating voluntary organisations has remained stable, the relative share of participating organisations has declined and an increasing proportion of organisations have abstained from participating. In addition, the shares of conflict-and member benefitoriented organisations have decreased while consensus-and public-benefit-oriented organisations appear to have increased slightly. These findings are discussed in the context of changes in the coordination and implementation of public policies, implying that over time the role of voluntary organisations as arenas for deliberation and mediators of individual interests tend to have gradually lost ground in relation to the state while the share of organisations taking direct welfare responsibility has slightly increased. Although, it may be premature to speak about a shifting role of voluntary organisations from input to output in the political system, the result suggest an emerging trend in that direction. Further research is needed to clarify whether this changing pattern of participation is evident in other arenas for policymaking in Sweden or an isolated feature explained from the outset of the remiss procedure.
Journal of Civil Society, 2013
To what extent does the government selection process practiced in public consultations promote or... more To what extent does the government selection process practiced in public consultations promote or hinder pluralism in the policymaking process? This article addresses this question by exploring and analysing the characteristics of voluntary organizations invited to public consultations. Evidence is drawn from the formerly corporatist Scandinavian country of Sweden and the policymaking process referred to as the 'remiss procedure'. The article shows that the government selection process encourages a multitude of organizations to participate. Consistent with recent studies on Scandinavian corporatism, this study provides weak support of corporatist practices in the Swedish policy process. However, and without challenging the seemingly pluralistic nature of the remiss procedure, voluntary organizations with 'insider status' in the policy process are more frequently invited to formal decisionmaking arenas such as the remiss procedure. It is argued that the policy network literature and the theory of political opportunity structures may further the understanding of the government selection process practiced in public consultations.
Sektor3-tankesmedjan för det civila samhället synliggör, granskar och väcker debatt om förutsättn... more Sektor3-tankesmedjan för det civila samhället synliggör, granskar och väcker debatt om förutsättningarna för och betydelsen av civila samhällets organisationer. Utgångspunkten är att Sverige behöver mer av den kraft som finns i allt från knattefotboll till kooperativa företag och ideella organisationer. Genom egna rapporter, seminarier, rundabordssamtal och andra aktiviteter vill vi lyfta och vrida på perspektiv.
En lägesrapport: Från medlemspartier till vad?
Kurage: Idétidskrift för det civila samhället, Oct 18, 2013
Trots positiva tendenser i medlemsutvecklingen inomvissa partier finns det knappast något hopp fö... more Trots positiva tendenser i medlemsutvecklingen inomvissa partier finns det knappast något hopp för att depolitiska partierna återigen skall bli de stora folkrörelsersom de var fram till 1980-talet, skriver Martin Karlssonoch Erik Lundberg som är doktorander i statskunskap.
Critical Policy Studies, 2015
Governance networks (GNs) are theorized as institutions for state–civil society interaction with ... more Governance networks (GNs) are theorized as institutions for state–civil society interaction with important merits as well as shortcomings for effective and democratic governance. Here we compare GNs with a far less researched type of state–civil society interaction, the Swedish governmental commission (GC), critically discussing them in terms of organizational and functional features, the role of the state and democratic anchorage. Drawing on lessons from the institutional design of GCs, we contest the notion that well-functioning GNs require a low level of formal institutionalization and discuss how democratic problems with GNs could be addressed through a formal institutional framework that provides pre-established and generally applied ground rules, ensures elected politicians the final say on policy, and values broad participation and consultation. Recognizing that GNs are not a self-evident form for state–civil society interactions, traditional institutional designs should be more fully considered in the discussion and theorization of the democratic anchorage of GNs.
This article analyzes the recurrent "erosion thesis" in the governance literature, arguing that b... more This article analyzes the recurrent "erosion thesis" in the governance literature, arguing that bureaucratic or procedural public-sector institutions have come to play a less significant role in public-policy formation. Evidence from the Swedish policy-making institutions referred to as "governmental commissions" and adoption of the perspective of interest organizations support the claim. Using various theories of institutional change, I show that increased government control has reduced the influence of governmental commissions on policy, but not eliminated the belief held by interest organizations that the commissions are legitimate institutions.
Chapters in books by Erik Lundberg
För att demokratiska system ska bestå måste varje generation vinna demokratin på nytt. Många är d... more För att demokratiska system ska bestå måste varje generation vinna demokratin på nytt. Många är de aktörer i samhället som på ett direkt eller indirekt sätt spelar en roll för att förmedla, vidmakthålla och stärka demokratiska värden och normer. Långt före dess formella genombrott i Sverige har folkrörelser, ideella organisationer, intressegrupper och andra organiserade grupper i civilsamhället tillmätts en stor betydelse för demokratins utveckling i olika avseenden. Civilsamhället fungerar som kanal för engagemang, sociala gemenskaper och förmedlare av intressen mellan stat och medborgare. Därutöver har organisationer i civilsamhället tilldelats ett stort värde för formandet av demokratiskt värdefulla attityder som social tillit och tolerans, kort sagt för hur mycket vi anser oss kunna lita på andra människor och acceptera sociokulturella skillnader, livsstilar och uttryck i samhället.
Books by Erik Lundberg
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Papers by Erik Lundberg
domestic level. From our empirical findings, we argue that in order to understand the limited Europeanization of CSOs, national dependency on financial support and to some extent formal embedding in national welfare systems are key factors. The findings indicate some differences
between the organizations’ approaches, which to some extent can be attributed to policy area and organizational character. Policy areas with strong EU legislation implemented at national levels such
as anti-discrimination seemingly underpins stronger linkages to local and national governments and thus less EU orientation.
Chapters in books by Erik Lundberg
Books by Erik Lundberg
domestic level. From our empirical findings, we argue that in order to understand the limited Europeanization of CSOs, national dependency on financial support and to some extent formal embedding in national welfare systems are key factors. The findings indicate some differences
between the organizations’ approaches, which to some extent can be attributed to policy area and organizational character. Policy areas with strong EU legislation implemented at national levels such
as anti-discrimination seemingly underpins stronger linkages to local and national governments and thus less EU orientation.