Lars Trägardh is a professor of history at Ersta Sköndal Högskola in Stockholm. His research, which was largely conducted in the United States since the 1970s, but in recent years also in Sweden, revolves around various aspects of the welfare state and civil society. Trägårdh took his PhD at Berkeley, University of California, in 1993. Following his doctorate, he spent a dozen years as a history professor at Barnard College, Columbia University.