Overview

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. It is free to read at Oxford Scholarship Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations. Interest in democratic socialism is on the rise, but this wide-ranging comparison of two systems shows that the Nordic model of capitalism achieves virtually everything that contemporary democratic socialists say we should want. Socialism is back in the conversation, and recent polls suggest the share of young Americans who have a favorable impression of socialism is about the same as the share that have a favorable view of capitalism. The case for a modern democratic socialism is that capitalism is bad, or at least not very good, and that socialism would be an improvement. To fully and fairly assess democratic socialism's desirability, Lane Kenworthy argues in Would Democratic Socialism Be Better?, we need to compare it to the best version of capitalism that humans have devised: social democratic capitalism. Kenworthy offers a close look at the evidence about how capitalist economies have performed on an array of outcomes. He finds that social democratic capitalism achieves virtually everything that contemporary democratic socialists say we should want.

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We are at a critical juncture and need to build new institutions for a fairer, more equitably shared, and environmentally less damaging economic growth. But how? Lane Kenworthy has been the leading proponent of social democratic institutions both in the US and around the world. This spirited and readable book develops the powerful argument that social democracy is much better for our future than both unregulated global capitalism and democratic socialism. It is a must-read for all of those who are worried about our current predicament. * Daron Acemoglu, Institute Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology * A readable, sober, grounded, empirically-based, humane and even hopeful presentation of social democratic capitalism. Even for the US! * Lawrence Mishel, Former President, Economic Policy Institute * Lane Kenworthy has produced a briskly written and utterly convincing argument for the benefits of social democracy over an alternative socialist system that has never existed. His book is a splendid example of how what Michael Harrington called 'the left wing of the possible' has bettered the lives of tens of millions of people and has the potential to do so for billions more. * Michael Kazin, Professor of History, Georgetown University, and author of What It Took to Win: A History of the Democratic Party * In a series of compelling books, Lane Kenworthy has convincingly argued that 'Social Democratic Capitalism,' the Nordic Model characterized by strong and centralized unions, a large and redistributive welfare state and frequent social democratic government, delivers high levels of equality and social inclusion, low levels of poverty, high levels of employment, and a cleaner environment without sacrificing economic growth. In this book, Kenworthy carefully considers whether Democratic Socialism would be an even better alternative. He is skeptical, emphasizing the advantages of Social Democratic Capitalism. * John D. Stephens, Lenski Professor of Political Science and Sociology, University of North Carolina *

We are at a critical juncture and need to build new institutions for a fairer, more equitably shared, and environmentally less damaging economic growth. But how? Lane Kenworthy has been the leading proponent of social democratic institutions both in the US and around the world. This spirited and readable book develops the powerful argument that social democracy is much better for our future than both unregulated global capitalism and democratic socialism. It is a must-read for all of those who are worried about our current predicament. * Daron Acemoglu, Institute Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology * A readable, sober, grounded, empirically-based, humane and even hopeful presentation of social democratic capitalism. Even for the US! * Lawrence Mishel, Former President, Economic Policy Institute * Lane Kenworthy has produced a briskly written and utterly convincing argument for the benefits of social democracy over an alternative socialist system that has never existed. His book is a splendid example of how what Michael Harrington called 'the left wing of the possible' has bettered the lives of tens of millions of people and has the potential to do so for billions more. * Michael Kazin, Professor of History, Georgetown University, and author of What It Took to Win: A History of the Democratic Party * In a series of compelling books, Lane Kenworthy has convincingly argued that 'Social Democratic Capitalism,' the Nordic Model characterized by strong and centralized unions, a large and redistributive welfare state and frequent social democratic government, delivers high levels of equality and social inclusion, low levels of poverty, high levels of employment, and a cleaner environment without sacrificing economic growth. In this book, Kenworthy carefully considers whether Democratic Socialism would be an even better alternative. He is skeptical, emphasizing the advantages of Social Democratic Capitalism. * John D. Stephens, Lenski Professor of Political Science and Sociology, University of North Carolina * Data-rich, and gracefully written advocacy for the social welfare policies now typical of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. * Social Forces *

We are at a critical juncture and need to build new institutions for a fairer, more equitably shared, and environmentally less damaging economic growth. But how? Lane Kenworthy has been the leading proponent of social democratic institutions both in the US and around the world. This spirited and readable book develops the powerful argument that social democracy is much better for our future than both unregulated global capitalism and democratic socialism. It is a must-read for all of those who are worried about our current predicament. * Daron Acemoglu, Institute Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology * A readable, sober, grounded, empirically-based, humane and even hopeful presentation of social democratic capitalism. Even for the US! * Lawrence Mishel, Former President, Economic Policy Institute * Lane Kenworthy has produced a briskly written and utterly convincing argument for the benefits of social democracy over an alternative socialist system that has never existed. His book is a splendid example of how what Michael Harrington called 'the left wing of the possible' has bettered the lives of tens of millions of people and has the potential to do so for billions more. * Michael Kazin, Professor of History, Georgetown University, and author of What It Took to Win: A History of the Democratic Party * In a series of compelling books, Lane Kenworthy has convincingly argued that 'Social Democratic Capitalism,' the Nordic Model characterized by strong and centralized unions, a large and redistributive welfare state and frequent social democratic government, delivers high levels of equality and social inclusion, low levels of poverty, high levels of employment, and a cleaner environment without sacrificing economic growth. In this book, Kenworthy carefully considers whether Democratic Socialism would be an even better alternative. He is skeptical, emphasizing the advantages of Social Democratic Capitalism. * John D. Stephens, Lenski Professor of Political Science and Sociology, University of North Carolina * Data-rich, and gracefully written advocacy for the social welfare policies now typical of Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. * Social Forces * Careful, well argued, and attuned to competing arguments, this is public-facing social science at its best. * Marc Dixon, American Journal of Sociology *

Author Information

Lane Kenworthy is Professor of Sociology and Yankelovich Chair in Social Thought at the University of California-San Diego. He studies the causes and consequences of living standards, poverty, inequality, mobility, employment, economic growth, social policy, taxes, public opinion, and politics in the United States and other affluent countries. He is also the author of The Good Society, Social Democratic Capitalism (Oxford, 2020), How Big Should Our Government Be? (2016, with Jon Bakija, Peter Lindert, and Jeff Madrick), Social Democratic America (Oxford, 2014), Progress for the Poor (Oxford, 2011), Jobs with Equality (Oxford, 2008), Egalitarian Capitalism (2004), and In Search of National Economic Success (1995). His essays and shorter pieces have appeared at his blog Consider the Evidence, Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Boston Review, and elsewhere.

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