The Image of Sweden in the USA: History, events and mechanisms

This report examines the historical image of Sweden in the United States against the backdrop of recent debates on how Sweden is portrayed abroad. The Swedish–American relationship is important for Sweden – culturally, economically, and politically. This is highly relevant given current security concerns and Sweden’s recent NATO application. The USA is also a key arena for the global dissemination of perceptions about Sweden, which is critical in today’s increasingly polarized media landscape. The report does not aim to present a comprehensive overview of the entirety of American image of Sweden but focuses on events and occasions where attention to Sweden and Swedish affairs has both quantitatively intensified and qualitatively changed.