Abstract
In contribution to current debates on the changing roles and responsibilities of civil society in welfare state arrangements, I examined the participation of various types of civil society organizations in national welfare policymaking in Sweden between 1958 and 2012. Drawing upon an extensive dataset of over 1400 civil society, state, and for-profit organizations, I tested three claims related to the role and responsibility of civil society in the governance of welfare: the changing balance between corporatist and welfare organizations, the shift from voice to service, and another shift from nonprofit organizations to FPOs. My results revealed weak but emerging trends aligned with changing patterns of corporatism and the marketization of Sweden’s welfare system. However, support for any shift from voice to service remains uncertain.
Highlights
Among extensively debated issues regarding civil society, the shifting role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in welfare state arrangements has long commanded scholarly attention (Smith-Rathgeb and Lipsky 1993; Henriksen et al 2012)
Changes in the government-based financial support of civil society and political rhetoric have encouraged CSOs to act as providers of welfare services at the expense of organizations known for advocacy
I address results concerning the participation of nonprofit organizations and for-profit organizations (FPOs)
Summary
Among extensively debated issues regarding civil society, the shifting role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in welfare state arrangements has long commanded scholarly attention (Smith-Rathgeb and Lipsky 1993; Henriksen et al 2012). With the decline of institutionalized patterns of participation in welfare policymaking, scholars of civil society issues have repeatedly called attention to a potential shift in the role of CSOs from voice to service (Wijkstrom 2004; Amna 2006).
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