The main purpose of this thesis is to elucidate what degree the peasants at the local level were able to influence decision making on different levels of society. The study takes its point of departure in the petitions and solicitations of the peasants addressed to district courts (häradsrätter), county governors (landshövdingar) and the Riksdag.  Three economic issues are focussed upon: the distillation of spirits (brännvin), forest legislation and the land consolidation law (storskiftet), that is, the first phase of the Swedish enclosure movement. 

The analysis of the influence of the peasants and the Estate of Peasants is based on the assumption that the degree of influence a group can exert depends partly on the size of available resources and partly on how these resources are used. An example of important resources used in this study is motivation, political skill, knowledge of issues and contacts with other groups and Estates. 

The study shows that the peasants could exert a great degree of influence on economic policy making. Success was most marked in legislation concerning the production and control of distilled spirits. In this issue the Estate of Peasants was able to mobilize and use considerable resources. By stressing common bonds of interest linking members of the community with members of the House of Nobles and the Estate of Clergy whose livelihood depended on agriculture, the peasants were able to decide the outcome of this issue. 

In the forest question the peasants disposed over fairly large resources. The problem here was that there were even stronger interest groups involved in the decision-making process, foremost, the mining industry. 

In the enclosure issue the peasants were split. The opponents of early enclosure among the peasants did, however, in the beginning make some progress on the local and regional levels. This resistance had an impact on the handling of the issue by the central authorities.  Laws were subsequently passed which met the demands of the critics of the enclosure ordinance. 

The 'Age of Freedom’ in Sweden was unique for its times. Commoners in local communities had acknowledged access political channels.  The peasants in Sweden could not only make political demands but carry weight in the decision-making process at the highest level. 

The dissertation is in Swedish with a summary in English.