Economic policy in the heyday of Danish liberalism

Abstract

In the general run of histories dealing with the period covered by this book, the achievements of Denmark's newly-created democratic government in the field of economic policy tend to be obscured by the Schleswig question and the constitutional struggles associated with it. The book is the first to make a comprehensive survey of an aspect of affairs which is usually neglected, and for this reason it will no doubt prove useful, although it sheds no fresh light on the period. But its aim is as nebulous as the title. Without being intentionally biased, the book appears to be chiefly concerned with rehabilitating 'the most knowledgedable and prosperous men of the time', more particularly the group of officials and national liberal and conservative politicians who, after the sudden transition to constitutional government, immediately ‘took charge of the whole business of domestic politics’ (p. 13). The author arrives at this reasoned judgment about the exercise of power by upper middle-class officials and merchants by considering the principal items of social and economic legislation during the period between the fall of the absolute monarchy in 1848 and the intensification of the constitutional struggle about 1875, a struggle which delayed reforms in these fields for 15 years. The most important questions discussed are the prolonged controversy (in 1851–61 and again in 1869–73) over the legislation to abolish the system of copyhold; the introduction of free trade in 1857, including the preliminary skirmishes in the period 1850-56 and the aftermath about 1870; the imposition of duties and experiments with income tax; and the first beginning of labour and social legislation in 1869-73. In many of these fields the book contains pointed and accurate summaries of the content and purpose of the legislation, but, generally speaking, the coverage of economic history tends to be rather superficial. The author, who was formerly head of the Statistical Department, has demonstrated elsewhere his ability to produce and evaluate historical facts and figures. But here he applies his talent in support of general arguments in a manner which is diffuse rather than concentrated. His general view seems to be that the reforms themselves had little direct bearing on the development of the economy or the standard of living, these being affected by such things as the scarcity of productive forces (p. 130 f.). It is accordingly impossible to judge the effect of the changes resulting from the introduction of free trade, the reforms being of minor importance compared with other factors (p.122).