Voice, Choice and the Question of CMI Democracy in the Swedish Welfare State

Abstract

Although economic issues of cost containment and service productivity continue to dominate European health policy debate, important political and normative issues remain on the agenda as well. Drawing upon the Swedish case, this paper explores the broader questions of democratic control over welfare-state-supplied human services. It suggests that 'civil' as against 'political', 'social' or 'economic' democracy should guide the organization of human services generally and health services in particular. The paper concludes that the concept of 'civil democracy' can provide a useful policy model in political and normative as well as in economic terms.