MaktkartanPublished: Text updated:
The Riksdag
The Riksdag is the foremost representative of the people. Its main tasks are to pass laws, decide the state budget and elect the prime minister. Most of the work happens in 15 standing committees, where proposals are prepared before the chamber votes.
The government and the ministries
The government leads the country: it submits bills, implements the policies the Riksdag has decided on and represents Sweden abroad. The Government Offices with their eleven ministries prepare the government's decisions. Sweden has collective decision-making - the government decides together, not individual ministers.
The agencies
The roughly 250 state agencies implement policy in practice - from the Armed Forces to the Tax Agency. Unlike in many countries, Swedish agencies are independent: a minister may not dictate how an agency decides an individual case. The ban on so-called ministerial rule is in the Instrument of Government.
The courts
The courts pass judgment independently of politicians. The general courts handle criminal and civil cases, the administrative courts handle disputes between individuals and the state. The Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court set precedents.
Checks and balances
Power is reviewed at several levels: the Chancellor of Justice examines cases against the state, the National Audit Office scrutinises how tax money is used, and municipalities and regions have self-government with their own right to levy taxes. In addition, EU law takes precedence over Swedish law in the areas the EU governs.