Government

Under the constitution of 1975, which replaced that of 1809, the king is head of state but has little power. Legislative power is vested in the unicameral Riksdag, made up of 349 members elected by a system of proportional representation to four-year terms. The country's executive is the cabinet, headed by the prime minister, which must have the confidence of the Riksdag. Public administration is to a large extent decentralized, so that elected county and municipal governments play a major role in running the country.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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