6 minute read
Johannes Lindvall wants us to learn from history.
Invisible threats to democracy
Text: Eva Lundgren Photo: Allan Eriksson
What right does the state have to decide that its citizens should be vaccinated? That question was asked as early as the 19th century, when smallpox vaccination became mandatory in Sweden and in many other countries. – The resistance to vaccinations is as old as the vaccinations themselves, says Johannes Lindvall. He is the new August Röhss Professor of Political Science and believes that historical knowledge gives us perspective on today’s problems.
The GU Journal met Johannes Lindvall at the Department of Political Science. He had cycled there from the central station after taking the train from Lund, where he is still working for a few more weeks. He folds his two-wheeler into a handy package that he carries through the entrance. It has been 17 years since he defended his thesis here, now he is back after also working at Oxford and Harvard, among other places.
Social science and humanities research is important, not least to teach us to look at the time in which we are living with new eyes, Johannes Lindvall explains. – We like to believe that the time in which we are living is unique, but it is almost always possible to draw parallels to other countries and eras. Should the school be public or private, state or municipal? How should the police be governed? Should vaccination of children be mandatory? People thought about that during the 19th century as well.
Johannes Lindvall’s latest book, Inward Conquest, is about how public services, such as the school and the police, have developed since the 19th century. But he is also involved in other projects, for example on migration policy and the welfare state, as well as on government building in the 19th century.
Social sciences, not least political science, should serve the public interest, he says. – Political science is about how society works, and in a democracy it is a question that should concern everyo-
JOHANNES LINDVALL
Johannes Lindvall
Currently: New August Röhss Professor in Political Science. Background: Defended his thesis at the University of Gothenburg in 2004, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oxford from 2007–2010, Professor at Lund University in 2013, guest lecturer at Harvard University from 2016–2017. Selection of published books: Inward Conquest (2020), 134 dagar: om regeringsbildningen efter valet 2018, together with Jan Teorell, Hanna Bäck and Johan Hellström (2020), Reform Capacity (2017), SNS Demokratirapport 2017: samverkan och strid i den parlamentariska demokratin in collaboration with Hanna Bäck, Carl Dahlström, Elin Naurin and Jan Teorell. Family: Wife and two children. Book recommendation: Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times by Nancy Bermeo.
What is the most recent book you have
read? Summerwater by Sarah Moss.
What is the most recent film you have
watched? Tomboy by Céline Sciamma. What is your favourite food? Pancakes. What are your hobbies? Board Games (Favorite right now: Brass Lancashire).
ne. Therefore, participation in public discourse is an important part of my work. If I cannot explain what I’m doing in a way that is comprehensible, then I’m probably doing the wrong thing.
Johannes Lindvall has contributed to the discourse through his participation in two books. 134 dagar: om regeringsbildningen efter valet 2018 (134 days: the formation of government after the 2018 election) is based on a research project, led by Jan Teorell, who examined the January agreement and the fall of the Alliance. SNS Demokratirapport 2017: samverkan och strid i den parlamentariska demokratin (SNS Democracy Report 2017: Cooperation and Struggle in Parliamentary Democracy) is about the situation after the 2014 election, when parliament voted down the government’s budget and the prime minister threatened to call another election.
– The report is based on a survey that some colleagues and I did because we were worried about what we perceived as the politicians’ increasing inability to handle conflicts. However, our study made us cautiously optimistic. The will to make the political system work is, after all, considerable, contrary to what you might believe when you follow mass media reporting. An example of the support for the democratic system came in early June when the Constitution Committee presented its review of the government’s handling of the covid-19 pandemic. – The committee was united in its considerable criticism, which even the parties that are part of the government had signed. I see that parties with very different views can agree on the political rules of the game as proof of strength. Compare this with the USA, for example, where the slightest change in electoral law or the electoral boundaries of the constituencies leads to protracted disputes.
Even though democracy is strong in Sweden, there is reason to worry about developments in the rest of the world, says Johannes Lindvall. – Threats to democracy are more difficult to perceive today. Previously in history, the differences between democracies, totalitarian states and military dictatorships were clear to people. Today, democracy is being undermined by parties that profess democratic principles but that make it difficult or impossible for other parties to assert themselves.
Democracy is basically a set of rules for making political decisions, Johannes Lindvall reminds us. – Democracy is based on the idea that we can live together even if society is characterized by contradictions. There have always been those who have argued that democratic societies are weak because they cannot unite the nation. I think instead we should be proud that we have a political system based on respect for different people’s views.
On January 10, the so-called pandemic law came into force, which, among other things, makes it possible for the government to restrict people’s freedom of assembly and demonstration. – These are rights that are outlined in Chapter 2 of the Swedish Instrument of Government. But it also states that restrictions on the freedom may be imposed, for example to prevent epidemics. The COVID-19 Act is therefore not unusual, and similar laws exist in other countries. What you might worry about, however, is that the perception of what is normal has shifted. Therefore, it is important that the restrictions on citizens’ freedoms and rights are not continued beyond what is absolutely necessary.
Johannes Lindvall grew up in an academic family. His mother, Ingrid Elam, is a wellknown cultural figure who was dean of the Faculty of Fine, Applied and Performing Arts for six years. His father was a professor of Romance Languages in Lund and in Gothenburg.
Was it natural for you to pursue an academic career?
– No, one thing just led to the other, I had no definite plans at that time. But I grew up in a home where there were constant discussions about politics, literature and the changing society, and that affected me a lot. That I studied political science was probably due to the tough period Sweden was in, both economically and politically, in the early 1990s; I simply wanted to understand what happened and how politics works in practice. Now I’m back at my old department. I look forward to reconnecting with my old teachers and colleagues but also to making new acquaintances. The department has grown since I left many years ago and has gained several new strong research environments. Of course, I hope to be able to contribute to the continued development.
