Strategies Against Poverty in a Social Democratic Local Welfare System: Still the Responsibility of Public Actors?

Abstract

This chapter analyses local strategies against poverty and social exclusion in Sweden, often seen as illustrative of a Social Democratic welfare regime. The chapter addresses whether public actors play such a significant role in local anti-poverty strategies as established regime-debates suggest. Empirical investigations cover patterns of coordination between the social assistance system and activation services at local level as well as the functions local civil society organisations fulfil in providing the poor with support and services. Our findings show that despite extensive local autonomy and high pressure on the social assistance system, civil society actors play a limited role in the local welfare system. The local welfare system is furthermore characterised by extensive coordination problems between forms of minimum income support and local activation services.