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The Political Opinions of Swedish Social Scientists

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Author Info
Berggren, Niclas () (The Ratio Institute)
Jordahl, Henrik () (IFN)
Stern, Charlotta () (SOFI, Stockholm University)

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Abstract

We study the political opinions of Swedish social scientists in seven disciplines. A survey was sent to 4,301 academics at 25 colleges and universities, which makes the coverage of the disciplines included more or less comprehensive. When it comes to party sympathies there are 1.3 academics on the right for each academic on the left—a sharp contrast to the situation in the United States, where Democrats greatly dominate the social sciences. The corresponding ratio for Swedish citizens in general is 1.1. The most left-leaning disciplines are sociology and gender studies, the most right-leaning ones are business administration, economics, and law, with political science and economic history somewhere in between. The differences between the disciplines are smaller in Sweden than in the more polarized U.S. We also asked 14 policy questions. The replies largely confirm the pattern of a left-right divide – but overall the desire to change the status quo is tepid.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by The Ratio Institute in its series Ratio Working Papers with number 112.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Length: 44 pages
Date of creation: 21 May 2007
Date of revision:
Publication status: Forthcoming in Finnish Economic Papers.
Handle: RePEc:hhs:ratioi:0112

Contact details of provider:
Postal: The Ratio Institute, P.O. Box 5095, SE-102 42 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: 08-587 054 00
Fax: 08-587 054 05
Email:
Web page: http://www.ratio.se/
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For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Niclas Berggren).

Related research
Keywords: Academics; social scientists; policy views; political opinions; party sympathies;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
A11 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Role of Economics; Role of Economists
A13 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Relation of Economics to Social Values
A14 - General Economics and Teaching - - General Economics - - - Sociology of Economics

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Stern, Charlotta & Klein, Daniel B., 2006. "Is There a Free-Market Economist in the House? The Policy Views of American Economic Association Members," Working Paper Series 6/2006, Swedish Institute for Social Research. [Downloadable!]
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  8. Klein, Daniel B. & Stern, Charlotta, 2006. "The Ideological Profile of Faculty in the Humanities and Social Sciences: A Reply to Zipp and Fenwick," Working Paper Series 7/2006, Swedish Institute for Social Research. [Downloadable!]
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  11. Klein, Daniel & Stern, Lotta, 2005. "Sociology and Classical Liberalism," Ratio Working Papers 81, The Ratio Institute. [Downloadable!]
  12. Frey, Bruno S, et al, 1984. "Consensus and Dissension among Economists: An Empirical Inquiry," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(5), pages 986-94, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Victor R. Fuchs & Alan B. Krueger & James M. Poterba, 1998. "Economists' Views about Parameters, Values, and Policies: Survey Results in Labor and Public Economics," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 36(3), pages 1387-1425, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Kearl, J R, et al, 1979. "A Confusion of Economists?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 69(2), pages 28-37, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  16. Fuchs, Victor R, 1996. "Economics, Values, and Health Care Reform," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(1), pages 1-24, March.
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Blair Jenkins, 2009. "Yet Another Refutation of the More Guns, Less Crime Hypothesis - With Some Help From Moody and Marvell," Econ Journal Watch, Atlas Economic Research Foundation, vol. 6(1), pages 73-112, January. [Downloadable!]
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