Kommunernas politisering : En studie av det politiska styret i Nyeds landskommun 1950-1962

Sammanfattning: This essay deals with the question of lines of development within the politics in the rural municipality of Nyed 1950-1962. The aim is to explore how local politics and policies were handled from two perspectives. Firstly the issue of conflict and consensus or majority rule and consensus. Here Arend Lijphard's theory of majority and consensus provides a theoretical base for the essay. Secondly the aim is to explore the actions of the local politicians with regards to leisure time policies to find out whether or not they ideologically belonged to the concept of ”folkhemmets kommun” by Ulla Ekström von Essen. The source material for this essay has been the minutes from the two major bodies of local politics in Nyed, kommunalfullmäktige and kommunalnämnden. The minutes from folkskolestyrelse has also been studied in specific policy cases. An interview with local ex-politician Sven Bjureld (c) has also been conducted to give a fuller view of the topic than the study of minutes can give. In the essay the conclusion is drawn that the politicians were part of the ideology of Folkhemmets kommun and that it was the social democrats that were the driving force in that development. It is furthermore concluded that the level of conflict was relatively low and that the municipality can be grouped as a consensus municipality according to Lijphard's theory. There were however three distinct areas of policy where there were more conflict that others: real estate policy, leisure time policy and education policy. The usage of motions as a political weapon was quite low during the period with 12 motions written. It was primarily the social democrats that used this weapon. The essay also points out the fact that there was a movement during the period with regards to how the task of the local politicians were viewed. In the beginning of the period the politicians primarily saw their role as a passive one whereas in the end they saw themselves as having an active role in making the municipality viewed in a positive way by the inhabitants and other members of the public. With regards to development over time it is concluded in the essay that there was a breach around 1955/1956. After that time politics in Nyeds rural municipality started to follow the lines of political parties.