This chapter explains how political power is shared across the state, regions, and municipalities. It describes how citizens choose the politicians who govern these levels, how laws and budgets are decided, and how government agencies put these decisions into public practice.

Governance at Different Levels
Political authority in Sweden is organized into three distinct levels: the national level (the state), the regional level (regions), and the local level (municipalities). Additionally, Sweden’s governance is influenced by regulations and decisions from the European Union (EU).

The State
The national state structure comprises the Riksdag (parliament), the Government (regeringen), various government agencies, and the court system. Sweden operates as a parliamentary representative democracy. In this system, citizens cast votes in general elections to choose their parliamentary representatives. The parliament then holds the power to enact legislation and approve the national budget.

The Riksdag contains 349 elected members who serve four-year terms. These representatives come from different political parties and represent various geographic areas of the country. Their primary responsibilities are passing laws and determining how state funds are allocated. The parliament elects the Prime Minister (statsminister), who is then tasked with appointing ministers and forming the Government.
Every autumn, the Government presents its financial plan to the parliament, known as the Budget Bill (budgetproposition). This document outlines expected state revenues, expenditures, and the political priorities of the current administration.

Political parties that do not form or support the government function as the opposition. The opposition’s role is to review the government’s activities and propose alternative political directions. Government and opposition parties debate these various proposals before the members of parliament cast their final votes.

Government Agencies
The Government administers the country through numerous state authorities and agencies, numbering in the hundreds. Key examples include the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen), the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan), the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket), the Swedish Police Authority (Polismyndigheten), and the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket). For instance, if a citizen applies for parental benefits, Försäkringskassan is the agency responsible for reviewing and deciding on the application.

These authorities must strictly operate according to the law and follow the direct directives issued by the Government. To ensure proper conduct, independent supervisory bodies such as the Parliamentary Ombudsmen (JO) and the Chancellor of Justice (JK) regularly monitor and audit these agencies.

Regions and Municipalities
Sweden is administratively split into 21 regions. They are managed by local politicians chosen by the residents during regional elections, and key decisions are finalized within the regional council (regionfullmäktige). The core responsibility of the regions is overseeing public healthcare and medical services. Regions also coordinate regional public transportation systems, including buses, trams, and subways and manage county museums.

The Responsibilities of Municipalities
The country is further subdivided into 290 local municipalities. The largest is the capital city, Stockholm, housing nearly one million residents, while the smallest is Dorotea in Västerbotten County, with a population of under 3,000.

Municipalities are run by local councils (kommunfullmäktige) elected by the community. Most municipal politicians are non-professional representatives who maintain regular daytime jobs and handle political duties during their free time. The local council appoints specialized committees (nämnder) to manage specific public sectors, such as an education committee for local schools or a cultural committee for public libraries.

Municipalities oversee the public services that affect residents’ daily routines directly. Their responsibilities include water and sewage systems, elderly and childcare services, winter snow removal, park upkeep, and adult education. Because of these direct responsibilities, municipal decisions frequently impact an individual’s everyday life more immediately than decisions made by national parliament.

Sweden’s System of State
Sweden is a constitutional monarchy (konstitutionell monarki). This constitutional system means the head of state is a monarch (a king or queen) who possesses no formal political power. The monarch serves strictly as a formal symbol for the nation, undertaking official state visits abroad and welcoming foreign heads of state visiting Sweden.

The reigning monarch of Sweden is King Carl XVI Gustaf. His firstborn daughter, Victoria, is the Crown Princess and next in line to the throne, followed by her eldest daughter, Princess Estelle.