Basinkomst i skuggan av arbetslinjen : En WPR-analys av svenska riksdagspartiers problemrepresentationer

Sammanfattning

Basic income as a policy reform has long been marginalized in Swedish politics. Against this background, the aim of the study has been to analyze how Swedish parliamentary parties construct workfare in relation to economic security, and further analyze how these constructions contribute to the marginalization of basic income in Swedish politics. The study was conducted using Carol Bacchi’s WPR approach (What's the problem represented to be?) in combination with discourse theory. The material that was analyzed consisted of six official documents produced by the Swedish parliamentary parties and published between the year 2000-2023. The findings show that basic income as a reform proposal is indirectly rejected through the parties' problem representations, despite not being discussed explicitly by every party. These representations reveal an implicit rejection by framing economic security in relation to the degree of labor market participation. As a result, universally distributed state benefits are given limited space on the Swedish political agenda. The study also demonstrates that crisis situations create a temporary opening for potential reforms within the welfare system. However, these openings prove to be short-lived, as the workfare principle is subsequently reasserted in political discourse. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the marginalization of basic income in Swedish politics through an analysis of parliamentary parties’ problem constructions.