The Rise of the Issue of Law and Order in Sweden

Abstract: In recent times there has been a general trend of shifting party competition, with new issues being brought to the foreground. Sweden has undergone multiple changes, both societal and political, paving the way for the issue of law and order to emerge. This thesis examines how the said issue has helped the right-wing populist party, the Sweden Democrats, reinforce their position in the general election of 2022. It is a descriptive case study examining the developments relating to the issue from 2014 to the general election of 2022, by applying concepts within issue competition, salience and ownership, as well as PSO-theory and a previous study on party competition on law and order. In line with PSO-theory the niche party, the Sweden Democrats, is studied in relation to the two biggest mainstream parties on the centre-left and centre-right, the Social Democrats and the Moderates. Primary material is mainly utilised, incorporating surveys and election manifestos, complemented with secondary material. Studying the issue emphasis among the parties, a qualitative content analysis of their election manifestos is performed. The conclusions demonstrate multiple factors related to the issue of law and order that have reinforced the Sweden Democrats’ position in the general election of 2022.