The monarch may dissolve the legislature at will and the parliament (Folketing) is responsible for monitoring government expenditures and the implementation of any passes legislation. Because only 2% of the vote is needed for a party to gain a seat in parliament, Denmark’s political arena is comprised of many parties, but they can generally be grouped into two divisions, “Denmark’s political scene is fragmented, particularly since 1973 when ten parties won seats in the Folketing. However, the parties tend to group themselves in socialist and nonsocialist blocs, so government by coalition is a feasible and frequent solution” (Lindgren, et. al. 6). Since the 1950s the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has been the main political power and enjoys the support of industrial workers and public employees. The SDP supports a planned economy and socialist democracy. The oldest party in Denmark is the Liberal Part, founded at the end of the 19th century, argues for free enterprise but accepts the necessity of modern social welfare policies. Small businessmen, farmers and trade works make up a faction of the Liberal Party known as the Radical Liberal Party (RLP). The RLP favors pacifism and generally favors policies that are left-leaning. The other considerable party in Denmark is the Conservative party and is made up of large farm owners, industrialists and mainly business people. Conservatives have historically favored government intervention in the economy more than the Liberals, but they are more similar to the liberals in their active support of private property rights, defense and NATO commitments. Three smaller and less influential parties exist in Denmark, including the Progress Party that supports anti-taxation, the Center Democrats who support moderate platforms and the Christian People’s Party which argues against abortion and pornography.
The economy of Denmark is one of the few that has ever exceeded the United ...