Municipalities in Sweden are every fourth year required to create a risk and vulnerability analysis, identifying, prioritising and analysing the risks specific to the municipality. By looking at such analyses from 20 municipalities, this study show there is an unexpectedly high divergence of which risks municipalities prioritise, a divergence not explained by geography or demography. Some municipalities also prioritise unlikely or odd risks, such as solar storms, over likely ones. These observations warrant questions about on what grounds risk prioritising is made. Creating a risk and vulnerability analysis involves decision making under uncertainty, which studies have shown is subjected to systematic cognitive biases. An organisational environment focused on measurable results and audits may also make decision makers prone to these biases. This study utilizes psychological and organisational theories to examine the puzzle of divergence and the occurrence of unlikely risks in municipal risk prioritising. Through analysing a few observations, conclusions include that there is support for risk averse thinking, disadvantageous organisational conditions and political compromises giving room for short-sightedness and irrationality. A limited selection of municipalities and the interpretation of a specific risk value given in the risk and vulnerability analyses as being synonymous with risk prioritisation may affect the validity and reliability of the study. An array of reasons influences risk prevention strategies and the reasons dealt with in this study are far from comprehensive. Further research could explore how an interplay of factors influence risk prevention.

Denna uppsats undersöker hur projektet om utbyggnad av stambanor för höghastighetståg har sett ut i relation till paradoxen för megaprojekt och hur detta kan förstås genom maktteorin. Studien grundar sig på en intervju- och dokumentstudie. Baserat på en operationaliserad teoretisk referensram om den konventionella planeringsmodellen, som ger uttryck för paradoxen, tematiserades det empiriska materialet. Studien lyfter bland annat brister i dokumentation, kostnadsestimering och tidig överåtagning i resurser och politisk prestige. Studien redogör för att den konventionella planeringsmodellen i vissa avseende stämmer överens med planeringen och genomförandet av projektet. Vidare understryker studien att paradoxen för megaprojekt även kan tolkas genom maktteorin och att teorin fångade den centralt förstådda betydelsen av makt i relation till det givna syftet. Studien visar på att processen är komplext och att de olika aktörerna alla besitter maktpositioner i systemet.

Nuclear power is a topic that has been debated for many years, both in Sweden and internationally. The arguments that are found in the debate often express either that risk is connected to using nuclear power, or that risk is connected to not using it. Both sides frequently express a political connection. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate whether there is a connection between ideology and risk perception in the Swedish debate on nuclear power. To find an answer ideological connection and risk perception are identified in a number of articles published in Sweden’s five largest newspapers during the spring and summer of 2022. The results indicate a connection between ideology and risk perception, although it is not quite clear. Also, what type of risk an article expresses as the most serious seems to be connected to its ideology and the values it builds on.

AI is creating a global societal paradigm shift since it is a general purpose technology with seemingly unstoppable potential. Although large economic and societal advantages seem apparent, the technology is also recognised to pose an existential threat to humanity. Experts and politicians highlight these risks, however there is a lack of international regulation on the matter. Using international relations theory and previous research on AI governance, reasons for the absence of regulation is procured through analysis of states sentiments in the UN. Applying quantitative text analysis in combination with simple and multivariate regression, a correlative statistical pattern was researched. Sentiment analysis of states in the CCW and the UN General Assembly was therefore used as empirical data to analyse the presence of a correlative pattern. Results from the statistical analysis indicate that a country with a higher vested interest in AI also tends to express a more positive sentiment about AI. Viewing nations as moving towards multipolar power dynamics (from a unipolar one) is theorised to explain the shift in sentiments over time. This research paper’s main contribution to the research of political science is the descriptive statistical analysis of the CCW debates and the General Assembly discussion on AI. Research contributions are also made with regards to international relations theory about the transition from a unipolar US hegemony towards a multipolar one, i.e. between Russia, China and the US.

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No description available.

För att förstå delar av problematiken kring vilken effekt terrorism har på svensk lagstiftning har denna undersökning letat efter de huvudsakliga bakomliggande orsakerna till lag 2006:343 om Försvarsmaktens stöd till polisen vid terrorismbekämpning. I den politiska beslutsprocessen får skillnaderna mellan de krav som uppstår vid en kris, kontra de faktiska resurser som finns att tillgå större betydelse. Myndighetsöverskridande samarbeten effektiviserar inte bara arbetet efter att terrordåd inträffat, det stärker också folkviljan. Denna undersökning syftar till att ta reda på varför lag 2006:343 tillkom, genom att åskådliggöra de huvudsakliga bakomliggande faktorerna bakom lag 2006:343. Detta genom att metodiskt strukturera upp hur både internationella och nationella faktorer har påverkat förarbetena och den slutliga lagen 2006:343. De internationella faktorerna som framkommit har alla sin upprinnelse i 11 septemberattentaten. Det skapades en internationell koalition mot terrorism. I Förenta nationernas säkerhetsråd antogs 2001, en resolution om hot mot internationell säkerhet orsakad av terrorism (UNSCR 1373). I EU formulerades en respons mot terrorism 2001 (Europeiska rådet 2023). I Sverige beslutades om deltagande i Afghanistankriget. Under första halvan av 2000-talet skedde det en rad internationella terrordåd vilket tydliggjorde polisens behov. Under utredningsarbetet med att ta fram lag 2006:343 framkom även att det fanns en hotbild mot utländska intressen i Sverige. Då polisen saknar flera av de resurser Försvarsmaktens besitter, är ett myndighetsöverskridande samarbete för att överkomma denna brist naturlig.  Den som stod bakom propositionen var Justitieministern som därmed utgör ett exempel på en nationell påverkansfaktor på individnivån.

The purpose of this study is to examine the discussion about public access to information inrelation to independent schools within the newspapers Dagens Nyheter, Aftonbladet andSvenska Dagbladet. To enable this purpose, a qualitative and quantitative content analysis of gathered articles ranging from 2016 up until 2021 was done. In order to examine the empirical data gained from the articles, the study based its theoretical framework upon multiple approaches. These are as follows; one of the most prominent media theories; agenda setting theory which was complimented by framing theory, and Lennart Lundquist’s (1998) idea of a democratic values and economic values in the public sector from his book Guardians of Democracy. Through the material that has been analysed, the study can conclude that the debate about the principle of public access to information increases around the year 2020 and that the years before, the debate about independent schools was centered on other topics. The study also concludes that there is an overall balance between the arguments for economic and democratic values but the importance of the principle of public access to information about schools is emphasised in most of the articles.

This study explores the use and apparent meaning of the concept of “Swedishness” in political discourse as presented by two of the largest political parties in Sweden within their political material produced for the 2022 election. The paper employs qualitative content analysis as well as analytic tools from critical discourse analysis. Results of the study indicate that national identity as a socially constructed concept holds little relevance to these political parties, and real identification of the attributes which constitute the national identity of Swedes are few. Instead the concept is used as a political tool by both parties to gain support, and gains form and attributes based on how the tool is to be wielded by either party.

No description available.