Election promises are an inseparable part of politics. They are the glue that binds voters and their elected representatives together. Yet many Danes do not live in a society based on trust, but rather on mistrust, when it comes to politics. Many voters do not believe that politicians keep their promises, but that is a shame, because politicians actually do keep their promises if they can.

Drawing on Danish political history—from the early retirement guarantee of 1998, through the “contract politics” era and the “broken-promises government,” to the Arne Pension and the 2026 parliamentary election—the book presents what we know today about the democratic role of campaign promises.

The book shares the latest research—and offers a clear answer: Election promises remain of crucial importance to a vibrant democracy. Bad reputation or not.

Author

The book is written by Carsten Jensen. 

More info

Find more information about the book on the publisher’s website.