The rest of the story: explaining variation in immigration policy in Sweden and Denmark

This thesis seeks to explain the variation in immigration policy between Sweden and Denmark. The historical, cultural, economic and political similarities shared by these two countries would lead one to believe that they would pursue similar policies. The argument that best explains their differences is the presence of a radical right wing party in Denmark. However, in order to understand why a radical right wing party was able to emerge in the rst place one must go beyond the existing conditions that have been identied in the past. Here, I make the argument that volatile industrial relations in Sweden, from the 1970s through the mid-1990s, resulted in more consensual immigration policy. On the other hand, consensual industrial relations in Denmark, during the same time period, resulted in more restrictive immigration policy.