ALTHOUGH some time has passed since the publication of David Popenoe’s article blaming the Swedish welfare state for the decline of the Swedish family [”Family Decline in the Swedish Welfare State,” Winter 1991], as Swedish demographers and family researchers we feel compelled to set the record straight.  Quite frankly, in our view, he is wrong. Several of his factual claims are inaccurate and his interpretation of accurate facts is questionable at best.