RÖSTA! : En studie av två svenska kommuners försökatt aktivera invånare i ’utsatta områden’

Sammanfattning: Sweden has a long-standing reputation as a democratic country including free and fair elections and human rights. However, in recent years worries have been raised concerning somewhat declining participation in elections especially by migrants or ‘new Swedes’ in so called ‘vulnerable areas’ in a number of municipalities. The aim of this thesis was to examine whether and how local government authorities in two Swedish municipalities – Botkyrka and Södertälje – consider this as a ‘problem’ and what ‘solutions’ they propose or have started to implement. The study is framed in a theoretical context signposted by three crucial concepts derived from political science literature: ‘understanding’, ‘knowing’ and ‘willing’. Aside from written, official documents and interviews with local government officials the study also takes advantage of some recent secondary research on the role of electoral participation. The two local governments both try in different ways to turn around the trend towards faltering participation in popular elections. However, due to broader socioeconomic circumstances largely out of their control they so far have not succeeded in turning this trend.