Sport: A Political Exception?

During this period, the evolution of Swedish sport politics was twofold. On the one hand, changes were pronounced and new challenges needed to be confronted. Even more than before, sport for children and young people was at the centre of the sport-political agenda, which led to heated discussions about different forms of exclusion and inclusion in sport. The level of sport’s contribution to society was strengthened, as was its public management. Likewise, the issue of what to do with elite sport needed to be confronted in a new fashion. On the other hand, despite the general political changes, the ongoing development in sport (Chap. 9 ), the increased sport-political debates and the new management routines and stricter control systems, Swedish sport politics remained stable. Social Democratic as well as centre-right governments increased funding for sport, the autonomy of sport was protected, the RF could largely decide on its own over the distribution of resources and the period’s increased investments in elite sport were made within the existing organisational structure. Additionally, the state authority’s control over sport was mild compared to other societal areas, and while the corporate governance model was abolished in state administration in general, it remained in sport.