Øyvind Østerud, Department of Political Science, University of Oslo, Pb. 1097 – Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway.
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Power and Democracy in Norway: The Transformation of Norwegian Politics†
Article first published online: 1 FEB 2006
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9477.2006.00140.x
Additional Information
How to Cite
Østerud, Ø. and Selle, P. (2006), Power and Democracy in Norway: The Transformation of Norwegian Politics. Scandinavian Political Studies, 29: 25–46. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9477.2006.00140.x
- †
This article is based on conclusions from the Norwegian Power and Democracy Project (1998–2003). In 1997, the Norwegian Storting decided to launch a power and democracy study to analyse Norwegian democracy at the dawn of the twenty-first century (following up on the Norwegian power study from the 1970s). An independent steering committee consisting of five researchers was assigned, and NK50 million (approx. US$8 million) were allocated to the project. The committee started its work in the spring of 1998 and published its conclusions in August 2003 (Østerud et al. 2003). Close to 40 books and more than 100 articles/reports were produced as part of the project.
Publication History
- Issue published online: 1 FEB 2006
- Article first published online: 1 FEB 2006
- Abstract
- References
- Cited By
The Norwegian Power and Democracy Project concluded that the parliamentary chain of government is weakened in every link; parties and election are less mobilizing; minority governments imply that the connection between election results and policy formation is broken; and elected assemblies have been suffering a notable loss of domain. Popular participation has moved from long-term organisations and political parties to short-term action groups and associations with immediate concerns. The judicialisation of politics has strengthen the legal system and weakened the autonomy of local democracy, while the expansion of market forces further affects the span of parliamentary rule. The mass media has become politically more independent, while adapting more closely to economic forces and the quest for return of investment. There has, accordingly, been centralisation of economic power through mergers and acquisitions following the globalisation of the Norwegian economy. The so-called ‘Scandinavian’ (or ‘Nordic’) model is increasingly strained, while corporatism is partly weakened and partly restructured. After the end of the Cold War, there has also been a consistent strategy in foreign policy for the branding of Norway as a champion for peace and human rights. There is a cluster of corporate bureaucratic agencies around the high-profile peace mediation and humanitarian engagement.