Swedish Government and Politics

Olof Petersson

Translated by Frank Gabriel Perry

Swedish society is currently going through changes which provide important lessons for everyone interested in the future of the welfare state. This book sets out a concise description of the Swedish political system. The problems facing the institutions of contemporary Sweden are considered from a comparative and historical perspective

The political system in Sweden combines democratic and egalitarian features with a powerful central state. Swedish Government and Politics describes the various elements of the Sweedish policy, focusing on parliament, the Government, public administration and the legal system. The book also contains descriptions of the political parties, interest organisations, the mass media, trade and industry, the monarchy, the Church and other major institutions in Swedish society.

A longer version of this book has been published in Swedish as Svensk politik.

Contents

1
A Welfare State under Threat
2
The Formation of a Polity
3
The Swedish Models
4
The International Context
5
The Institutional Setting
6
Parliament
7
The Government
8
Public Administration
9
The Legal System
10
Local Government
11
The Political Parties
12
Voluntary Organisations
13
The Mass Media
14
The Business World
15
The Monarchy
16
The Church of Sweden
17
The Power Structure
18
Citizenship
19
Lessons for the Future
Appendices
References
Index

235 p. ISBN 91-38-92138-1
Publica, Stockholm 1994

Orders:

Fritzes
S-106 47 Stockholm
Telephone: +46 8 690 90 90
Fax: +46 8 20 50 21