Det reglerade undantaget : högerns jordbrukspolitik 1904-2004

Sammanfattning: Agricultural policy and protectionism were major forces behind the foundation of the Swedish Conservative Party (AVF, later Högerpartiet and now Moderata samlingspartiet). Agriculture was seen as a traditional way of life and as such agriculture was deemed important enough to be protected by tariffs. The party also had a strong agrarian phalange in its ranks. The thesis deals with the agricultural policy of the party and its predecessors during the 20th century. The main focus is to explain how the party has dealt with agricultural policy during the period. Due to the reasons mentioned above agricultural policy became a regulated exception of the party. This meant that the party accepted protectionism and other exceptions when it came to agriculture. Things that would not have been accepted in other areas. The main reason for this agricultural exceptionalism was the power of the farmers within the party structure. This, in combination with the Swedish neutrality and preparedness for war, lay behind this view on agriculture . Through neutrality agriculture became a factor in Swedish defense policy and as such ruled by consensus. For the conservatives agriculture and the farmers were seen as an important group within the electorate. Agriculture was also ideologically important through its traditionalism. In combination with strong groups of farmers within the party and the issue of preparedness led to a party policy where agriculture was something particular and an exception from normal policy. The agricultural policy of the party is studied on the ideological level, the internal party level and on the level of non-socialist party cooperation. The party policy during the century showed a remarkable continuity and the party in general defended agriculture from all threats of deregulation up until 1990 when a broad political decision was taken and agriculture was deregulated. The question of Swedish membership in the European Union is also adressed since it meant that agriculture had to be regulated once more.