Rune Stubager

For many international experts, politicians, and commentators, Denmark stands out as an ideal society with a well-functioning welfare state, low levels of corruption, and a high degree of social and political stability. Like other countries, however, Denmark faces challenges brought on by overall societal changes—particularly the challenges of maintaining a prosperous economy and from the growing number of immigrants with different ethnic and religious backgrounds that have left their mark on Danish society over the past 50 years. But how have Danish voters reacted to these challenges? The authors of The Danish Voter investigate a series of interesting questions concerning voters’ reactions to these macrosocial challenges and how their reactions affect the foundations for the ideal. Indeed, due to an electoral system open to new influences, the Danish case is an important test case for theories about political development of contemporary Western societies.

Usikker Modernitet undersøger udviklingen i danskernes værdier over fire årtier og indfanger de historiske forandringer, som er foregået siden 1981. Danmark omtales ofte som et samfund kendetegnet af lykke, tillid og tolerance, hvor hverken religion eller social klasse for alvor deler befolkningen op, og hvor ligestilling, miljøbevidsthed og ikke-autoritær opdragelse er værdier, der samler de fleste. Det billede kan man imidlertid ikke tage for givet, da mange af disse værdier er forholdsvis nye, og nogle af dem endda kun findes hos en mindre del af befolkningen. I 2017 var der mange danskere, der var mindre lykkelige og mindre tillidsfulde, end de var blot et årti tidligere. Usikker Modernitet undersøger alt fra danskernes nationale stolthed, bekymring for indvandring, politiske deltagelse, politiske værdier, holdninger til overvågning og miljøbeskyttelse, frivilligt arbejde, religion, medborgermoral, ligestilling, opdragelse og oplevelse af ulykkelighed og analyserer udviklinger og tilbageslag i et sociologisk perspektiv. Bogen præsenterer resultaterne fra Den danske værdiundersøgelse. Undersøgelsen er en del af et europæisk projekt og foretaget siden 1981 og senest i 2017. Ved hver undersøgelse er der et stort antal spørgsmål, der er identiske, og derfor kan man – helt enestående – sammenligne over tid. Bogen er redigeret af lektor i sociologi på Aalborg UniversitetMorten Frederiksen.

In 2005, twelve cartoons mocking the prophet Mohammed appeared in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, igniting a political firestorm over demands by some Muslims that the claims of their religious faith take precedence over freedom of expression. Given the explosive reaction from Middle Eastern governments, Muslim clerics, and some Danish politicians, the stage was set for a backlash against Muslims in Denmark. But no such backlash occurred. Paradoxes of Liberal Democracy shows how the majority of ordinary Danish citizens provided a solid wall of support for the rights of their country's growing Muslim minority, drawing a sharp distinction between Muslim immigrants and Islamic fundamentalists and supporting the civil rights of Muslim immigrants as fully as those of fellow Danes--for example, Christian fundamentalists. Building on randomized experiments conducted as part of large, nationally representative opinion surveys, Paradoxes of Liberal Democracy also demonstrates how the moral covenant underpinning the welfare state simultaneously promotes equal treatment for some Muslim immigrants and opens the door to discrimination against others. Revealing the strength of Denmark's commitment to democratic values, Paradoxes of Liberal Democracy underlines the challenges of inclusion but offers hope to those seeking to reconcile the secular values of liberal democracy and the religious faith of Muslim immigrants in Europe.

In 2005, twelve cartoons mocking the prophet Mohammed appeared in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, igniting a political firestorm over demands by some Muslims that the claims of their religious faith take precedence over freedom of expression. Given the explosive reaction from Middle Eastern governments, Muslim clerics, and some Danish politicians, the stage was set for a backlash against Muslims in Denmark. But no such backlash occurred. Paradoxes of Liberal Democracy shows how the majority of ordinary Danish citizens provided a solid wall of support for the rights of their country's growing Muslim minority, drawing a sharp distinction between Muslim immigrants and Islamic fundamentalists and supporting the civil rights of Muslim immigrants as fully as those of fellow Danes--for example, Christian fundamentalists. Building on randomized experiments conducted as part of large, nationally representative opinion surveys, Paradoxes of Liberal Democracy also demonstrates how the moral covenant underpinning the welfare state simultaneously promotes equal treatment for some Muslim immigrants and opens the door to discrimination against others. Revealing the strength of Denmark's commitment to democratic values, Paradoxes of Liberal Democracy underlines the challenges of inclusion but offers hope to those seeking to reconcile the secular values of liberal democracy and the religious faith of Muslim immigrants in Europe.

Folketingsvalget 2011 fandt sted i en tid præget af den voldsomste økonomiske krise siden Anden Verdenskrig. Som følge heraf var både mediernes og vælgernes dagsorden domineret af økonomien, og man skulle derfor også forvente at økonomien spillede en afgørende rolle for, hvor krydsene blev sat. Men hvis vælgerne gik så meget op i økonomien, hvorfor tabte den regering, der havde været ved magten under krisen, så ikke større end tilfældet blev? Når man ser nøjere efter, var det så økonomien, der afgjorde 2011-valget, eller var der også andre ting på spil? Forfatterne undersøger, hvordan dansk vælgeradfærd ser ud i en situation, hvor økonomien igen er i højsædet som det vigtigste problem. I bogen stilles skarpt på betydningen af en række faktorer for vælgernes partivalg: social baggrund, vurderingen af privat- og samfundsøkonomien, oplevelsen af krisen, samt holdingerne til skat, ulighed og velfærdspolitikken. Om forfatterneRune Stubager, ph.d., lektor ved Institut for Statskundskab, Aarhus Universitet. Forsker bl.a. i vælgeradfærd og holdningsdannelse; leder af Det Danske Valgprojekt. Kasper Møller Hansen, ph.d., professor ved Institut for Statskundskab, Københavns Universitet. Forsker bl.a. i vælgeradfærd og valgdeltagelse. Jørgen Goul Andersen, professor ved Institut for Statskundskab, Aalborg Universitet. Forsker bl.a. i velfærdsstaten og vælgeradfærd. Indholdsoversigt ForordKapitel 1. It's the Economy, Stupid! Kapitel 2. Den økonomiske udvikling op til 2011-valgetKapitel 3. Social baggrund og partivalgKapitel 4. Godernes omfordeling: Baggrunden for vælgernes holdninger til skat og ulighedKapitel 5. Økonomisk stemmeadfærdKapitel 6. Vælgernes krisebevidsthedKapitel 7. Krise og velfærdsholdningerKapitel 8. En samlet model for partivalg