Den retoriska anpassningen till parlamentarismen. En studie av den konservativa argumentationen kring parlamentarismen i Sverige 1920-1940

Authors

• Kai Paajaste

Abstract

In this article, I will analyse the conservative argumentation around parliamentarism in two Swedish periodicals, Svensk Tidskrift and Det nya Sverige, focusing on the rhetorical strategies of identification and dissociation. In the era of democratisation, the Conservatives had to move between the older interpretation of politics based on the interests of the state, and the newer conception of politics as action. The main outcome was that it was most important to identify with Swedish tradition. At the beginning of the period, parliamentarism was often ruled out as an un-Swedish political system. Attitudes were manipulated, using dissociative techniques, and by the 1930’s the parliamentary system was widely considered a legitimate form of politics. As the debate emphasised conservative concepts, the conservative debate over parliamentarism paved the way for a new orientation in Swedish politics after the era of minority governments