Editing Olof Palme (section)

===Domestic policy===
As leader of a new generation of Swedish Social Democrats, Palme was often described as a "revolutionary reformist" and self-identified as a [[Progressivism|progressive]].<ref>''Dagens Nyheter'' 23 January 2007</ref><ref>"[http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/kultur/story/0,2789,785030,00.html Detta borde vara vårt arv] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060310174240/http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/kultur/story/0,2789,785030,00.html |date=10 March 2006 }}" [[Åsa Linderborg]], ''Aftonbladet'' 28 February 2006</ref> Domestically, his leftist views, especially the drive to expand labour union influence over business ownership, engendered a great deal of hostility from the organized business community.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tawat |first=Mahama |date=1 June 2019 |title=The Birth of Sweden's multicultural policy. The impact of Olof Palme and his ideas |journal=International Journal of Cultural Policy |pages=478–481}}</ref>

During the tenure of Palme, several major reforms in the [[Swedish constitution]] were carried out, such as orchestrating a switch from [[bicameralism]] to [[unicameralism]] in 1971 and in 1975 replacing the [[1809 Instrument of Government]] (at the time the oldest political constitution in the world after that of the [[United States Constitution|United States]]) with a new one officially establishing parliamentary democracy rather than ''de jure'' monarchic autocracy, abolishing the [[King in Council (Sweden)|Cabinet meetings chaired by the King]] and stripping the [[Monarchy of Sweden|monarchy]] of all formal political powers.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

His reforms on the labour market included establishing a law which increased [[job security]]. In the [[1973 Swedish general election|Swedish 1973 general election]], the Socialist-Communist and the Liberal-Conservative blocs got 175 places each in the [[Riksdag]]. The Palme cabinet continued to govern the country, but several times they had to draw lots to decide on some issues, although most important issues were decided through a consensus agreement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://karisable.com/palme.htm|title=Olof Palme Unsolved Case|author=Kari Sable|work=Kari Sable website|access-date=3 February 2015}}</ref>{{self-published source|date=February 2021}} Tax rates also rose from being fairly low even by Western European standards to the highest levels in the Western world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.comhem.se/dier/Swedish%20Prime%20Ministers.htm|title=Swedish Prime Ministers in history|work=Comhem|access-date=3 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102234737/http://web.comhem.se/dier/Swedish%20Prime%20Ministers.htm|archive-date=2 November 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Under Palme's premiership tenure, matters concerned with [[child care]] centers, [[social security]], protection of the elderly, accident safety, and housing problems received special attention. Under Palme the [[public health]] system in Sweden became efficient, with the infant mortality rate standing at 12 per 1,000 live births.<ref>[http://info.lanic.utexas.edu/la/cb/cuba/castro/1975/19750729 Castro] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720104338/http://info.lanic.utexas.edu/la/cb/cuba/castro/1975/19750729 |date=20 July 2011 }}</ref> An ambitious [[redistribution of income and wealth|redistributive programme]] was carried out, with special help provided to the [[disability|disabled]], immigrants, the low paid, single-parent families, and the old.<ref name="ReferenceA">''Socialists in the Recession: The Search for Solidarity'' by Giles Radice and Lisanne Radice {{oclc|468658478}}</ref> The [[Swedish welfare state]] was significantly expanded<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bzfEo6E-YuUC&q=olaf+palme+expanded+welfare+state&pg=PA206|title=Sweden|access-date=3 February 2015|isbn=9780781811149|last1=Sprague|first1=Martina|year=2005|publisher=Hippocrene Books }}{{page needed|date=February 2021}}</ref>{{page needed|date=February 2021}} from a position already one of the most far-reaching in the world during his time in office.<ref name="ReferenceB">Taxation, Wage Bargaining and Unemployment by Isabela Mares {{oclc|783321650}} {{page needed|date=February 2021}}</ref>{{page needed|date=February 2021}} As noted by Isabela Mares, during the first half of the Seventies "the level of benefits provided by every subsystem of the welfare state improved significantly." Various policy changes increased the basic old-age pension replacement rate from 42% of the average wage in 1969 to 57%, while a health care reform carried out in 1974 integrated all health services and increased the minimum replacement rate from 64% to 90% of earnings. In 1974, supplementary unemployment assistance was established, providing benefits to those workers ineligible for existing benefits.<ref name="ReferenceB" />{{page needed|date=February 2021}} In 1971, eligibility for invalidity pensions was extended with greater opportunities for employees over the age of 60. In 1974, universal dental insurance was introduced, and former maternity benefits were replaced by a parental allowance. In 1974, housing allowances for families with children were raised and these allowances were extended to other low-income groups.<ref name="ReferenceC">''Growth to Limits: The Western European Welfare States Since World War II''. Volume 4 edited by Peter Flora {{oclc|1101348657}} {{page needed|date=February 2021}}</ref> Childcare centres were also expanded under Palme, and separate taxation of husband and wife introduced.<ref name="thelocal.se">{{cite web|url=http://www.thelocal.se/20110228/32314|title=Palme's political legacy 'put Sweden on the map'|work=The Local|date=28 February 2011 |access-date=3 February 2015}}</ref> Under Palme, over half of the Swedish economy was under [[public ownership]], and the influence of the state had grown massively.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.peoplespolicyproject.org/2018/10/08/the-dramatic-rise-of-public-ownership-in-midcentury-sweden/ | title=The Dramatic Rise of Public Ownership in Midcentury Sweden | date=8 October 2018 }}</ref> Access to pensions for older workers in poor health was liberalised in 1970, and a disability pension was introduced for older unemployed workers in 1972.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1ePDKhmzsEIC&q=national+policies+after+the+first+oil+crisis+Sweden&pg=PT108|title=From the Manpower Revolution to the Activation Paradigm|access-date=3 February 2015|isbn=9789089642523|last1=Timo Weishaupt|first1=J.|year=2011|publisher=Amsterdam University Press }}</ref>

The Palme cabinet was also active in the field of education, introducing such reforms as a system of loans and benefits for students, regional universities, and preschool for all children.<ref name="thelocal.se" /> Under a law of 1970, in the upper secondary school system "gymnasium," "fackskola" and vocational "yrkesskola" were integrated to form one school with 3 sectors (arts and social science, technical and natural sciences, economic and commercial). In 1975, a law was passed that established free admission to universities.<ref name="ReferenceC" /> A number of reforms were also carried out to enhance workers' rights. An employment protection Act of 1974 introduced rules regarding consultation with unions, notice periods, and grounds for dismissal, together with priority rules for dismissals and re-employment in case of redundancies.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=369n7-yPXpMC&q=sweden+employment+protection+act+1974&pg=PA74|title=The Origins of Active Social Policy|access-date=3 February 2015|isbn=9780199669769|last1=Bonoli|first1=Giuliano|date=2013|publisher=OUP Oxford }}</ref> That same year, work-environment improvement grants were introduced and made available to modernising firms "conditional upon the presence of union-appointed 'safety stewards' to review the introduction of new technology with regard to the health and safety of workers".<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W7RExBmVlpcC&dq=sweden+work+environment+law+1974&pg=PA141|title=Sweden: Social Democracy in Practice|first=Henry|last=Milner|date=31 January 1989|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-827856-6 |via=Google Books}}</ref> In 1976, an Act on co-determination at work was introduced that allowed unions to be consulted at various levels within companies before major changes were enforced that would affect employees, while management had to negotiate with labour for joint rights in all matters concerning organisation of work, hiring and firing, and key decisions affecting the workplace.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ALBZJ3sG_EgC&q=sweden+codetermination+act+1976&pg=PA123|title=The social construction of Swedish neutrality: Challenges to Swedish ...|access-date=3 February 2015|isbn=9781847791993|last1=Agius|first1=Christine|date=30 July 2006|publisher=Manchester University Press }}</ref>

[[File:PalmeOwpMora010885.JPG|thumb|right|Palme in [[Mora, Sweden|Mora]], 1 August 1985]]
Palme's last government, elected during a time when Sweden's economy was in difficult shape, sought to pursue a "third way," designed to stimulate investment, production, and employment, having ruled out classical Keynesian policies as a result of the growing burden of foreign debt, together with the big balance of payments and budget deficits. This involved "equality of sacrifice," whereby [[incomes policy|wage restraint]] would be accompanied by increases in welfare provision and more [[progressive tax]]ation. For instance, taxes on wealth, gifts, and inheritance were increased, while tax benefits to shareholders were either reduced or eliminated. In addition, various welfare cuts carried out before Olof's return to office were rescinded. The previous system of indexing pensions and other benefits was restored, the grant-in-aid scheme for municipal child care facilities was re-established, [[unemployment benefits|unemployment insurance]] was restored in full, and the so-called "no benefit days" for those drawing sickness benefits were cancelled. Increases were also made to both food subsidies and child allowances, while the employee investment funds (which represented a radical form of profit-sharing) were introduced.<ref name="ReferenceA" />{{page needed|date=February 2021}}

In 1968, Palme was a driving force behind the release of the documentary ''[[Dom kallar oss mods]]'' ("They Call Us Misfits"). The controversial film, depicting two social outcasts, was scheduled to be released in an edited form but Palme thought the material was too socially important to be cut.<ref>Daniel Ekeroth: ''Swedish Sensations Films: A Clandestine History of Sex, Thrillers, and Kicker Cinema'', (Bazillion Points, 2011) {{ISBN|978-0-9796163-6-5}}. {{page needed|date=February 2021}}</ref>

An outspoken supporter of gender equality, Palme sparked interest for women's rights issues by attending a World Women's Conference in Mexico. He also made a feminist speech called "The Emancipation of Man" at a meeting of the [[Woman's National Democratic Club]] on 8 June 1970; this speech was later published in 1972.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dorudi.nl/olof-palme-on-the-emancipation-of-man/|title = Olof Palme on the Emancipation of Man|date = 22 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1111/j.1540-4560.1972.tb00027.x|title = The Emancipation of Man|journal = Journal of Social Issues|volume = 28|issue = 2|pages = 237–246|year = 1972|last1 = Palme|first1 = Olof}}</ref>

As a forerunner in [[green politics]], Palme was a firm believer in [[nuclear power]] as a necessary form of energy, at least for a transitional period to curb the influence of [[fossil fuel]].<ref>{{YouTube|S8cqbdE0j64|Olof Palme till Shirley Maclaine om vikten av kärnkraft}}</ref> His intervention in Sweden's 1980 referendum on the future of nuclear power is often pinpointed by opponents of nuclear power as saving it. As of 2011, nuclear power remains one of the most important sources of clean energy in Sweden, much attributed to Palme's actions.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} Palme advocated for nuclear energy to move away from fossil fuels in his speech during the Stockholm Conference in 1972<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dGIsMEQYgI | title=Palme Stockholm Conference 1972 | via=YouTube | date=5 August 2012 }}</ref>