Swedish Government Situated on the Baltic side

Situated on the Baltic side of the Scandinavian Peninsula and projecting north of the Arctic Circle, Sweden is the largest, most populous, and wealthiest of the Scandinavian countries. In 1986, the per capita GNP was $13,000 (Banks 567). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the policy-making apparatus of the Swedish government; the party system; the organization of Parliament; the roles of the prime minister, monarch, and major interest groups; the electoral system; and the general economy. Following this discussion is an evaluation of the system, noting its strengths and weaknesses.

Sweden is a parliamentary democracy, and it is a monarchy. Nordic society's aim is government by consensus. It is structured to encourage shrewd appraisal conservative attitudes towards change, and formation of policy for the common good (Taylor 88). Unlike American government, each administration of Swedish government does not implement dramatic and widespread change, countering the programs of predecessors. Widespread and lengthy consultation is normal, and sometimes mandatory, before new policies are made (Taylor 89-91).

The legislature is called the Riksdag, a unicameral body consisting of 349 members serving three-year terms. Of the total, 310 are elected by proportional representation from 28 constituencies; the remainder are selected from a national pool designed to give absolute proportional representation to all parties. The present speaker of the Riksdag is Ingemand Beng

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typical Swedish party is more closely tied to a specific socioeconomic base, is more disciplined, and is more cohesive in its support. There is no significant factionalism within parties. The parties are responsive to a variety of pressures--from private organizations, the electorate, groups within the parties, and groups from within other parties (Board 87, 106). There is a significant amount of cooperation between parties in order to gain votes, gain power, and influence policy. In Sweden, Parliament has one chamber. It is more concerned with discussion than the formulation of policy, and a great deal of parliamentary work, especially the drafting of new laws, is done by standing committees with all-party membership proportionate to the number of votes cast. Parliament can modify the constitution, as happened in 1971 and 1975 during the premiership of Olof Palme. Parliament is limited by the constitutionally defined powers of numerous administrative agencies that are not subject to direct intervention by ministers (Taylor 89). The current prime minister, Ingvar Carlsson of the Social Democratic Labor Party, was confirmed in 1986, following the assassination of Olof Palme, on February 28 of that year. The office of the

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