Lessons from Lego Country

Legos, the little interlocking plastic bricks, were developed shortly after World War II by Danish wooden-toy maker Ole Kirk Christiansen. Today, his company, now The Lego Group, is the world’s largest toy manufacturer by revenue and one of Europe’s largest companies. Christiansen’s 1939 motto, “Only the best is good enough,” remains the company motto.

We can’t build a greater America with Legos, but we can by adopting some of the economic, political, and social policies of the country that helped Lego thrive. Denmark has a mixed economy dominated by capitalist private enterprise and free trade, but with carefully regulated fiscal and monetary policies to minimize capitalism’s historic instabilities of boom and bust cycles, unemployment, and economic inequality with unhealthy gaps between the rich and the rest.

In mixed economies like Denmark’s, government provides most public utilities, education, and physical infrastructure; management of public lands; and universal healthcare. All of these are true of the U.S. except for healthcare. The American government shutdown (still in effect as this is written) centers on Democratic Party insistence that Republicans restore healthcare funding they cut to help fund tax cuts mostly for the rich. Denmark and all other rich countries—except the U.S.—provide healthcare as a human right. 

Denmark’s poverty rate is low, 6 percent in 2011 compared to America’s 17.6 percent. Much of the credit goes to Denmark’s 67 percent union membership compared to America’s 9.9 percent (both in 2018). As a result, 82 percent of Danish employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements while only 11.7 percent of Americans are. Danish labor-management negotiations are mediated by government whose goal is what is best for all concerned. Negotiations are not “us-versus-them;” but a team process where everyone is “us.” With no minimum wage legislation, the minimum is still more than double America’s because of negotiated agreements. For example, McDonald’s and other Danish fast-food workers earn the equivalent of US$20/hour with paid vacations, parental leave, and pensions. 

As in labor relations, consensus is the foundation of Danish politics, so much so that the distinguished American political scientist Francis Fukuyama uses Denmark as the standard of near-perfect governance. He says “getting to Denmark” is the goal for stable social and political institutions. Imagine if our Congress members saw themselves as part of a bipartisan team devoted above all to the welfare of their constituents—to “us”—not to their campaign donors or even their party.

Denmark is a representative democracy with a unicameral legislature elected by all adult citizens. Each vote carries equal weight, unlike the U.S. where the two-senators-per-state provision dilutes the vote of large-state residents. 

College is free for students who qualify through a test, and students can apply for government grants to support themselves while in college. Denmark has the world’s fourth-highest proportion of degree holders, intellectual capital that helps account for the country’s high incomes. Denmark consistently ranks high, often first, in work-life balance and in the World Happiness Index.

So how do we move closer to Fukuyama’s goal of “getting to Denmark”? By electing public officials who believe in serving the public equitably and helping all of “us” build a stronger sense of community. Three actions would go a long way: (1) pass universal healthcare, perhaps Medicare for all; (2) make public colleges and trade schools tuition-free for all who qualify; (3) ensure that voting is convenient for every voter by encouraging voting by mail and giving special attention to areas where population density can cause delays.

We can do all these because America is the world’s richest country and can afford them. We should do them for the common good. We can’t build “a more perfect union” with Legos but we can with our votes. Let’s do it.