Election and relation between branches:

Territorial organization:

Name:

Riksdag (Parliament)

Name of each chamber:

Riksdag (unicameral body)

Morphology:

The seats are distributed among parties. The Riksdag has 349 seats, of these 310 are fixed constituency seats, allotted to the constituencies in advance, according to the number of voters in each. After the election these seats are allocated to the parties on the basis of the result achieved in the respective constituency. The purpose of the 39 adjustment seats is to achieve the best possible proportional distribution of seats between the parties for the country as a whole. This means that the adjustment seats are first allocated according to party and then according to constituency.

Number of seats:

349

Number of representatives per disctrict and number of districts:

The country is divided into 29 districts for electoral purposes, these districts do not always match the 24 provinces (which represent, instead, a historical and cultural division).

The number of representatives varies from election to election, depending on number of registered voters nationally and in each district. It ranges from 2 to 80 deputies representing the districts with less and more population, respectively.

Length of mandate:

4 years (unless extraordinary elections are called). All seats are renewed at the same time. Last elections took place September, 2002. The next are scheduled for September, 2006.

Requirements to become a legislator:

Requirements: to be 18 years old and to be nominated by a political party. There is no residency requirement.

Electoral system:

Parliamentary elections are open to all Swedish citizens who are or have been officially domiciled in Sweden and have reached the age of 18 by election day. The electorate votes for parties but can now also cast personalized votes by marking the name of a particular candidate on the voting slip. Personalised voting is voluntary. The main rule is for each individual to cast the vote personally, but voting by proxy is permitted

The electoral system is proportional, uses the adjusted odd numbers method in plurinominal districts.

Allocation of seats: there are 349 Riksdag seats altogether, and of these 310 are fixed constituency seats, allotted to the constituencies in advance, according to the number of voters in each. After the election these seats are allocated to the parties on the basis of the result achieved in the respective constituency. The purpose of the 39 adjustment seats is to achieve the best possible proportional distribution of seats between the parties for the country as a whole. This means that the adjustment seats are first allocated according to party and then according to constituency.

Threshold: in order to participate in the allocation of seats, a party must obtain at least 4 per cent of the votes in the entire country or 12 per cent in a constituency

Districts:

Deputies: 24 plurinominal districts

Senate: 24 districts

Name and number of relevant parties

There are 7 political parties in the Riksdag, that can be grouped in two blocs, socialists and non-socialists:

Socialists: Social Democratic Party (Socialdemokratiska Arbetarepartiet) with 144 seats (nowadays the major political party) and the Left Party -former Communist Party- (Vänsterpartiet) with 30 seats.

Non-socialists: Moderate Party -former Conservative (Moderata Samlingspartiet) with 55 seats, Liberal Party (Folkpartiet Liberalerna) with 48 seats, the Christian Democrat Party (Kristdemokraterna) with 33 seats, Green Party (Miljöpartiet de Gröna), with 17 seats and Centre Party (Centerpartiet with 22 seats).

Ideology

Ideological spectrum goes from center left to center right.

In as early as 1435, representatives of different social groups were called to a meeting in the town of Arboga to discuss and determine affairs affecting the country as a whole. The Arboga meeting is therefore sometimes referred to as Sweden's first parliament.

However, it was not until 1527 and later 1544 at King Gustav Vasa's two assemblies in Västerås that representatives of all four estates - the Nobility, the Clergy, the Burghers and the Peasantry - were called on to participate. The term "Riksdag" was first used in the 1540s.

The 17th century saw the establishment of clearer parliamentary procedures. The committee organisation began to emerge and written regulations on the work of the Riksdag were drawn up. In the late 1600s King Karl XI gained increasing power which meant that the Riksdag's position was weakened.
In 1809 a new Instrument of Government was adopted in Sweden. It set out how the power was to be divided between the Riksdag and the King, and it was largely influenced by the principle of separation of powers. The courts and public authorities were granted an independent status. Sweden was also the first country in the world to establish an Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsmen, a body to which citizens can turn with complaints about the authorities. The new Instrument of Government remained in force until 1974, despite numerous changes over the years. The first Riksdag Act - which is a law setting out the procedures for the work of the Riksdag - was introduced in 1810.

Between 1809 and 1974 substantial changes were made to the constitution in order to ensure the representation of the new social classes. In 1865 the parliament of the four estates was abolished and replaced by a bicameral (two-chamber) system. The First Chamber was elected indirectly by the county councils and municipal assemblies in the larger towns and cities. It was considered to represent "education and wealth". Only men were eligible owing to certain criteria related to age, income and wealth. Elections to the Second Chamber were only open to men, and in order to vote it was necessary to meet certain economic criteria such as ownership of real estate or payment of tax on an annual taxable income. Eligibility for election only applied to those aged 25 or above, which meant that just 21 per cent of Sweden's men over the age of 21 were entitled to vote in elections to the Second Chamber.

In 1909 a reform was passed in the Riksdag giving Swedish men the right to vote in the elections to the Second Chamber. In 1921 a universal and equal franchise was introduced for men and women alike, and the Riksdag finally achieved a system of democratic representation for all citizens. Alongside the universal franchise reform, a parliamentary system of government developed and gained acceptance. This means that the government requires the Riksdag's confidence and support for all major decisions.

In 1971 the bicameral system was abolished and a single chamber with 350 members was introduced. Changes were also made to the organisation of the parliamentary committees. The system of different committees for legislative and budgetary matters was abandoned and 16 committees for different subject areas were established instead.

Three years later, in 1974, Sweden adopted a new Instrument of Government and a new Riksdag Act. The principles of parliamentarianism were incorporated into the constitution and the Speaker acquired a central role in connection with the formation of a new government after an election.
Two important decisions were taken in 1994. The first was to extend the electoral period from three to four years and the second to make the budget procedure more efficient. The latter means that the budget year now coincides with the calendar year and that the Budget Bill is presented and dealt with during the (September 21st).

General prerogatives

Specific prerogatives

Pass laws concerning: the relations between private subjects and the public institutions which relate to obligations incumbent upon private subjects, or which otherwise encroach on the personal or economic circumstances of private subjects, provisions relating to criminal acts and the legal effects of such acts, provisions relating to taxes due the State, and provisions relating to requisition and other such disposition, Provisions concerning the holding of a consultative referendum throughout the whole of the Realm and the procedure for holding a referendum on a matter of fundamental law, Provisions concerning elections for a parliamentary assembly within the European Union, the principles governing changes in the division of the Realm into local government districts, and the principles governing the organisation and working procedures of the local authorities and local taxation, the competence of local authorities in other respects, and to their responsibilities, religious communities are laid down in law. Provisions concerning the bases of the Church of Sweden as a religious community.

Deputies:
1.Speaker
2.First Deputy Speaker
3.Second Deputy Speaker
4.Third Deputy Speaker
5.All other members of the Riksdag

Administrative area (authorities are not parliamentarians)
The Secretary-General of the Riksdag
The Secretariat
The International Department of the Riksdag The Secretariat of the Chamber
The Secretariats of the parliamenary committees
The Administrative Office
The Office of Information and Knowledge Management

All the provisions concerning the election to the Riksdag, the sessions and the procedures concerning parliamentarian business are laid out in the Riksdag Act. It has provisions regarding: Sessions and election of authorities, Meeting of the Chambers, Introduction, Preparation and Settlement of Business, Interpellations and Questions to Ministers, Elections within the Riksdag, Provisions regarding certain bodies and officials, Personnel and administration and Conduct of European Union Business.

The Riksdag Act is in force since 1974. It has 125 articles

Speaker: directs the work of the Riksdag and presides over the meetings of the Chamber. The Speaker is debarred from expressing an opinion on the substance of any matter under deliberation which has been entered in the order paper.The Riksdag appoints a Speaker and First, Second, and Third Deputy Speakers from among its members for each electoral period (four years). The Speaker may delegate to a Deputy Speaker the duty of presiding over a meeting. In the absence of the Speaker and all the Deputy Speakers, that member among those present who has been a member of the Riksdag longest presides. If two or more members have been members of the Riksdag equally long, the member who is senior in age has precedence. The same shall apply pending the election of the Speaker and the Deputy Speakers.

The Riksdag Board consists of the Speaker as chairman and ten other members whom the Riksdag appoints from among its members for the duration of the electoral period. Alternates are appointed to substitute each chairmen in case of need. The Riksdag Board deliberates on the organization of the work of the Riksdag, directs the work of the Riksdag Administration and determines matters of major significance concerning the Riksdag's international contacts program.

Party Special Representative: Each of the party groups, which corresponds to a party which obtained at least four per cent of the votes throughout the whole of the Realm at the preceding election for the Riksdag shall appoint a special representative to confer with the Speaker concerning the work of the Chamber.

Designation:

Number:

There are more than 550 employees, including administrative clerks, librarians, etc.

The support for political advisers is intended to cover costs for administrative and research assistance for the members. It is calculated on the basis of one adviser for every two members (SEK 36,700 per month) and it is paid to the party as State financial support, together with a basic support and support for foreign travel of the members.

There is no registry of attendance; however, the Riksdag uses the "pairing system" to ensure that the balance between the political blocs is not influenced by occasional absences due to illness, etc. With this informal system an absent member in one bloc is paired with a member from the other bloc who refrains from voting.

There is no quorum requirement A summon shall be posted in the premises of the Riksdag no later than 6 p.m. on the day prior to the meeting and at least fourteen hours in advance. A summon may however be posted later in exceptional circumstances. In such a case, the meeting shall take place only if more than half the members of the Riksdag consent thereto.

The Speaker shall prepare an order paper for each meeting listing all matters on the table of the Chamber. An exception may be made for a matter which it is assumed will be dealt with behind closed doors.
The order paper shall indicate whether the meeting is a plenary meeting at which committee reports may be taken up for settlement.
Business shall be dealt with at a meeting in the order in which it appears on the order paper. Business includes elections scheduled to be held at a meeting. The order paper shall indicate whether a matter is to be tabled, referred to a committee or taken up for settlement .The order paper shall be available in the Chamber and otherwise as determined by the Speaker.

The meetings of the Chamber are open to the public. The Riksdag may however determine that a meeting shall be held behind closed doors, if necessary, having regard to the security of the Realm, or otherwise, having regard to relations with another state or an international organisation. If the Government is to deliver a statement at a meeting, the Government may also determine, on the same grounds as the Riksdag, that the meeting shall be held behind closed doors.
A verbatim record shall be kept of proceedings in the Chamber. No one may speak off the record. A decision may not be altered when the record is confirmed. The record of meetings of the Chamber and associated documents shall be published in print unless secrecy is imposed under special provisions.

A matter is settled by acclamation or, if a member so requests, by holding a vote.

Settlement by acclamation: When a matter is settled by acclamation, the Speaker puts to the ques-tion every motion put forward in the course of the deliberations. The question shall be worded in such a way that it can be answered with a 'Yes' or 'No'. The Speaker declares what he understands to be the result, and confirms the decision by striking his gavel, unless a member calls for a vote.

Settlement by means of a vote: When a matter is settled by means of a vote, the principal proposal is that motion which in the Speaker's view the Riksdag adopted by acclamation. When there has been no acclamation, the principal proposal is the motion determined by the Speaker. A second motion is put up against this principal proposal to act as a counter-proposal. If there are more than two motions which can be put up against each other, the Riksdag shall first apply Article 5 to determine which shall constitute the counter-proposal.
Voting is by open ballot: the proposal which obtains the support of more than half the members voting constitutes the decision of the Riksdag, unless otherwise providedt. The Speaker announces the result of the vote and confirms the decision by striking his gavel.
If the vote is tied concerning which motion shall constitute the counter-proposal, the outcome is determined by lot.

There are sixteen permanent or standing committees, appointed for each electoral period: a Committee on the Constitution; a Committee on Finance; a Committee on Taxation; a Committee on Justice; a Committee on Civil Law; a Committee on Foreign Affairs; a Committee on Defence; a Committee on Social Insurance; a Committee on Health and Welfare; a Committee on Cultural Affairs; a Committee on Education; a Committee on Transport and Communications; a Committee on Environment and Agriculture; a Committee on Industry and Trade; a Committee on the Labour Market; and a Committee on Housing.The Riksdag shall also appoint an appropriate number of other committees for the electoral period (four years), and some for a shorter period.

Government bills, written communications from the Government, submissions and reports from a Riksdag body other than a committee and private members' motions shall be referred to a committee for preparation.
If the Riksdag appoints any additional committee (other than the 16 permanent ones) it shall indicate the committee's primary responsibilities.

Deliberation:

There are no rules concerning deliberation, but there are for voting: Voting in a committee shall be by open ballot. In the event of a tied vote, the opinion in which the chairman concurs shall prevail. A member who loses a vote in a committee may append a dissenting opinion, with a motion, to the committee's report.

Ability to seek advice from other sources:

Members:

Each committee shall consist of an odd number of members, but no fewer than fifteen. The size of the committees is determined by the Riksdag in response to a proposal from the Nominations Committee.

Authorities:

Committees are presided over by a chairman, who is a member of the party in the government (except for the Committee on the Constitution, which is presided over by a member of the opposition). The vice chairman is a member of one of the opposition parties

Staff:

Administrative secretary:

Publicity of meetings:

Committees shall meet behind closed doors. A committee may, however, determine that a meeting shall be open to the public, in whole or in part, in respect of that part of it which relates to information-gathering. All committee meetings must be recorded. Sound or video recordings may be made of a public part of a committee meeting unless otherwise determined by the committee. Special places shall be provided for the general public at a public part of a committee meeting. A member of the public who creates a disturbance may be ejected forthwith.

Schedule of meetings:

Committees convene as the work of the Riksdag requires. The committee is convened by its chairman, who shall convene the committee if so requested by at least five members of the committee. A committee may meet concurrently with the Chamber only if the deliberations in the Chamber relate to business other than the settlement of a matter or an election, and if the committee has given its prior consent in a unanimous decision.

Absenteeism / quorum:

There isn't any quorum requirement

A Council on Legislation which includes justices, or, where necessary, former justices of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court, shall exist to pronounce an opinion on draft legislation. The opinion of the Council on Legislation is obtained by the Government or, under more detailed rules laid down in the Riksdag Act, by a committee of the Riksdag. Failure to obtain the opinion of the Council on Legislation on a draft law never constitutes an obstacle to application of the law.

Composition:

Members of the Riksdag who belong to the same party make up a parliamentary party group. They have secretariats of their own which work closely together with the other sections of the party organization. All important issues are discussed in the party groups before final decisions are reached in committees and in the Chamber. Each member of the Riksdag has a personal mandate conferred by the electorate and is therefore under no formal obligation to support the party line. In practice, however, party loyalty prevails. The debates within the party groups can be very animated, but votes are rarely taken, and open rebellion against the party line in connection with votes in the Chamber rarely occurs. On matters of conscience, members are free to vote as they wish.
The Constitution contains no formal regulations prescribing how the party groups should work. The groups are mentioned only in connection with elections within the Riksdag and consultations with the Speaker. The work in the party groups is conducted according to the parties' own rules and practices.

Authorities:

The parliamentary party groups are usually headed by a board. The Green Party has a coordination group. The group leaders are responsible for current business.

Responsibilities:

Staff:

Electoral mechanism:

Cognitive mechanism:

The Riksdag oversees the work of Government and may request any information considered necessary: any member of the Riksdag may submit an interpellation or put a question to a minister on any matter concerning the minister's performance of his official duties. Ministers and Government members must comply with the request.
The Committee on the Constitution shall examine ministers' performance of their official duties and the handling of Government business. The Committee is entitled for this purpose to have access to the records of decisions taken in Government matters and to all documents pertaining to such matters. Another Riksdag committee or a member of the Riksdag is entitled to raise in writing with the Committee on the Constitution any issue relating to a minister's performance of his official duties or the handling of Government business.

A State authority shall furnish information and deliver opinions when so requested by a committee. An authority which is not an authority under the Riksdag may refer a request from a committee to the Government for decision.

The Riksdag may authorize the Government to adopt provisions in a particular matter, and the Riksdag may authorize the Government in such context to delegate the power to adopt regulations in the matter to an administrative authority or a local authority. Provisions adopted by the Government by virtue of authority in law under the present Instrument of Government shall be submitted to the Riksdag for examination, should the Riksdag so decide.

Investigative committess which's jurisdiction is on Executive´s activities: Committee on the Constitution, led by a member of the opposition.

The Board of the National Audit Office consists of an odd number of members, but no fewer than eleven, who are elected for the electoral period of the Riksdag. Each party group which corresponds to a party which obtained at least four per cent of the national vote at the election for the Riksdag shall have a seat. The seats on the Board are distributed thereafter proportionately among the same party groups. The Riksdag elects a chairman and one or more deputy chairmen from among the members of the Board. The chairman and each deputy chairman are elected individually.

Integrative mechanism or co-decision mechanism:

Riksrevisionen: on July 1, 2003 a new State Audit Institution - Riksrevisionen - was created in Sweden. The new organization replaced Riksrevisionsverket and the Parliamentary Auditors, which both ceased to exist. The Riksrevisionen is the Supreme Audit Institution of Sweden. It is a substantial part of the parliamentary control, its mission is to audit the complete activity of the state and to control the use of tax revenues, thus contributing to a maximized use of resources and to an efficiently run public administration.

The Riksrevisionen has an independent position, as guaranteed by the constitution, and accordingly the three Auditors General will, for each of their areas of responsibility, decide on what audits to take on, how to carry them out and what conclusions to draw from each audit. They will together agree on matters of mutual internal interest, such as audit plan, action plan and the administrative issues of the organization.

The Riksdag elects Parliamentary Ombudsmen to exercise supervision over the application of laws and other statutes in public activities.
The election of a Parliamentary Ombudsman or a Deputy Ombudsman is prepared by the Committee on the Constitution. The Parliamentary Ombudsmen shall be four in number, one Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman, and three Parliamentary Ombudsmen. The Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman shall act as administrative director and shall determine the main thrust of the Ombudsmen's activities. The Committee on the Constitution shall confer with a Parliamentary Ombudsman on working procedures and other matters of an organizational nature, either on its own initiative, or at the request of one of the Parliamentary Ombudsmen

Citizen participation:

Votes needed to pass the budget bill:

Changes to the content:

Modifying the budget after the bill is passed:

Control of the execution:

Cost-benefit analysis:

Participation in monetary policy:

Only the Government and every member of the Riksdag have the right to introduce proposals on any matter coming within the jurisdiction of the Riksdag

The Riksdag decides on calling a referendum (folkomröstningar) only on an exceptional basis. A referendum shall be held on a proposal concerning fundamental law which is held in abeyance over an election, on a motion to this effect by at least one tenth of members, provided at least one third of members concur in approving the motion. Such a motion must be put forward within fifteen days from the date on which the Riksdag adopted the proposal which is to be held in abeyance. The motion shall not be referred for preparation in committee. In the referendum, all those entitled to vote in the election are entitled to state whether or not they accept the proposal on fundamental law which is being held in abeyance. The proposal is rejected if a majority of those taking part in the referendum vote against it, and if the number of those voting against exceeds half the number of those who registered a valid vote in the election. In all other cases the proposal goes forward to the Riksdag for final consideration.

Buildings of congress

Recording of meetings:

Floor sessions

Television companies can connect to the Riksdag's tv production service free of charge and use it in their own broadcasts. Sockets for laptops and TV cameras are available. The West Wing of the Riksdag (RV) houses special premises for the media, including a press lounge, a press gallery in the Chamber and a conference room for the press. There always is TV coverage of the parliamentary activities.

Any member of the public may take pictures or videotape the Chamber's meetings from certain locations.

Publications

Public can subscribe to press releases, decisions in brief etc. in order to keep up to date with parliamentary business.

The Riksdag webpage (www.riksdag.se) contains the Chamber's agenda and all type of information relating it's activities.

The journal "Från Riksdag & Departement" (http://www.rod.nu) offers news, information, research and opinion on Riksdag issues.

Agreements with universities, research centers, etc.

There are no formal agreements with universities or research centres.

Consultation with civil society and innovative practices

The Office of Information and Knowledge Management is responsible for promoting increased openness and access to information and factual background material about the Riksdag, its work and the EU. It comprises the following divisions: The Riksdag Library, The Information Department, The EU Information Centre, The Department for Parliamentary Documents,The journal "Från Riksdag & Departement". The various divisions of the Office of Information and Knowledge Management are responsible for addressing the public's, media's, private sector's and organisations' need for information. They also provide background material and monitor local, national and international developments for members and employees of the Riksdag in order to ensure a high level of quality in the decision-making process. The Office of Knowledge and Information Management has about 120 employees. The Riksdag Information Service can answer any questions about the Riksdag and its work on tel: 020-349 900 (national calls only). The EU Information Centre provides information about the EU on tel: 020-250 000 (national calls).

Courses about the Riksdag are held for journalists and information officers.

It is a constitutional right, established in the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Press Act, that every citizen can get information from any State Agency and publish it, or his/her opinion without any kind of censure, thus being able to effectively control the State authorities.
By these laws, all information is public unless otherwise determined, which can only be done in very specific cases. Access to information is free of charge (reproductions are not) and requests should be answered promptly. This norm was first established by 1766 and has been in force, with short interruptions, ever since then.

The pay of the members of the Riksdag, including the Speakers, Deputy Speakers and Committees chairmen are all available on the internet.

The Register of Financial Interests is a voluntary register into which members of the Riksdag can enter information about their various financial interests, including interests in private enterprises, real estate holdings (for commercial purposes), public appointments, paid assignments outside the Riksdag etc.

The Riksdag must approve all international treaties concluded by the Government.

- OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (Ratification, 18 April 2001)

- United Nations Convention Against Corruption

- Universal Declaration on Human Rights

- International Convention on Civil and Political Rights

- European Union

World Bank: Governance Research Indicator Country Snapshot (GRICS): 1996-2004

World Bank: New tools and new tests in comparative political economy:
The Database of Political Institutions

World Bank: Corruption, Governance and Security: Challenges for Rich Countries in the World.

The PRS Group: available data and ratings for countries.
www.countrydata.com/data

Freedom House: Country Reports

The Center for Public Integrity: Public integrity Index
http://www.publicintegrity.org/ga/ii.aspx

Eurobarómetro: Opinión Pública Europea
www.eurobarometro.org

Transparency International:Global Corruption Report
www.globalcorruptionreport.org

Transparency International: Corruption Surveys and Indexes

Heritage Foundation: Index of Economic Freedom

University of Pennsilvania: Political Constraint Index

University of Maryland: Polity IV Country Reports

University of California at San Diego: Impact of bureaucratic structure on bureaucratic and economic performance
http://weber.ucsd.edu/~jrauch/webstate/

University of Michigan: World Values Survey
http://wvs.isr.umich.edu/index.html

Sweden's public sector: In Sweden there are three democratically elected levels of government, all with their own powers and responsibilities: the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament) at national level, county administration boards at regional level and municipalities at local level.

County councils administrate matters that are too costly to handle at municipal level. There are 21 county councils and regions. Their chief purpose is to manage all public health and medical care services in Sweden.

Municipalities are governed by elected assemblies known as municipal/city councils or county councils (kommunfullmäktige or landstingsfullmäktige). They consist of politicians who are elected directly by the voting public. Sweden is made up of 290 municipalities. They have a significant degree of autonomy and administrate local matters such as lower and upper secondary education, pre-school, elderly care, roads and water, waste and energy.

The Riksdag is the country's legislative assembly and is elected by the Swedish electorate every four years. The Riksdag appoints a prime minister (statsminister), and the prime minister in turn appoints the government.

Blekinge County Council
150,625 inhabitants
www.ltblekinge.se

Dalarna County Council
83 members
280,575 inhabitants
www.ltdalarna.se

Gotland Municipality (counties are usually sub-divided into municipalities, but Gotland County only consists of one municipality: Gotland Municipality)
57,428 inhabitants
www.gotland.se

Gävleborg County Council
280,717 inhabitants
www.lg.se/

Halland County Council
273,537 inhabitants
www.lthalland.se

Jämtland County Council
49,444 inhabitants
http://www.jll.se/net/Startsida

Jönköping County Council
327,266 inhabitants
www.ltjkpg.se

Kalmar County Council
63 members
236,501 inhabitants
www.ltkalmar.se

Kronoberg County Council
177,149 inhabitants
www.ltkronoberg.se/

Norrbotten County Council
258,094 inhabitants
www.nll.se/

Skåne Regional Council
1,156,070 inhabitants
www.skane.se

Stockholm County Council
1,803,377 inhabitants
ww14w.sll.se

Söder15manland County Council
255,890 inhabitants