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Sweden is a large, geographically diverse country located in northern Europe. It has a
population of around 10 million people and an official language spoken by 80% of the
population – Swedish. Sweden's government and legal system are distinct from any other
developed nation, thanks to its Lutheran state church, which plays a vital role in social cohesion.
The Swedish constitution comprises four acts - Fundamental Law, Social Welfare Legislation,
Aliens Act, and Police Authority Law (Atske et al., 2019). In contrast to many American
institutions, Sweden maintains just one police agency - the Swedish Police Authority - which
falls under the Ministry for Justice.
Economy
Sweden has a high GDP per capita rank in the European Union. This is due to low
inflation and a healthy banking system, which have helped keep Sweden’s currency stable.
However, this was not always the case: historically, Swedish growth rates were lower than
average, and inflation levels were high. This often led to the krona (the Swedish currency) being
devalued multiple times throughout history (Brunkhorst, 2020).
Sweden experienced a financial crisis in the early 1990s. This led to banks becoming
unstable and two being nationalized. Unemployment rose sharply; government spending soared,
as did the national debt (Brunkhorst,2020). However, through pursuing innovative and
courageous reforms, Sweden was able to turn things around and return its economy to stability.
They managed this by focusing on policies that would benefit all citizens and sticking to them
even when difficult. In times of global economic uncertainty, many countries could learn from
this.
Transnational Issues
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Cross-border human trafficking is a serious issue that threatens the security of countries
worldwide. Because these crimes are often committed with impunity, governments have
difficulty prosecuting those who engage in them. This limits their ability to cooperate with other
nations on global concerns and makes providing assistance and protection for victims difficult.
In Sweden, this problem has been addressed by implementing stricter rules about how authorities
deal with sexual slavery victims. Victims now receive help from local law enforcement agencies
such as the police before being given access to legal rights, medical care, and psychological
support services designed to protect them from becoming enslaved again. As a result of these
measures, more survivors are willing to come forward without fearing retribution from their
traffickers, leading to increased prosecutions and harsher sentences being handed down against
offenders (Hasan, 2020).
Relations with the United States
The relationship between the United States and Sweden is based on a shared heritage that
dates back to 1638 (Sweden, 2023). At that time, Swedish immigrants arrived in Delaware and
started building relationships with the Native Americans. Over time, these connections led to
strong ties between both countries; Swedes were instrumental in helping America become a free
country, and American leaders have consistently recognized Sweden's importance in global
affairs. Today, the two nations continue to work together towards mutual goals of democracy
promotion, security enhancement, human rights protection, gender equality, and environmental
sustainability.
Basic Government Structure
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Sweden's government is unique in that it has a diverse range of social and political
influences. The country was founded by immigrants, including many people from Europe who
brought with them their cultural values. Despite this diversity, Sweden maintains solid social
cohesion due to its structure of society. Women occupy 47% of parliamentary seats, which
makes them one of the most influential groups in Swedish politics (Atske et al., 2019). This
statistic reflects that women have held most leadership positions within Swedish governments
throughout history, including those currently occupied, such as speaker of parliament and
ministers for culture, foreign affairs, justice, and public administration (among others). In
addition to these 22 cabinet members serving on behalf of the prime minister alone (10 are
female), there are also deputy prime ministers representing various ministries across government
departments. It can be noted that vigorous action will be taken by Sweden's governing body to
combat three societal issues: gender equality/diversity, youth unemployment, and climate
change/global warming.
Sweden’s Legal System
In Sweden, the prosecutor represents the state, and the defense attorney represents the
defendant in court. This system is different from what you may be used to. Prosecutors typically
only impose summary fines for offenses. This means they don't take criminal matters too
seriously and leave it up to general courts to handle legal issues such as infractions or crimes.
Crimes are classified according to Penal Code definitions, which describe what constitutes an
offense (Muhire et al., 2022). There is no distinction between crimes and infractions under
Swedish law; everything falls into one of these categories.
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In Sweden, the police are under one authority divided into two sections: National
Operations (NOA), which oversees law enforcement, and the judicial system ensures justice is
upheld. The Swedish Police Authority was established in 1995 as a division of the Ministry of
Justice to oversee all aspects of policing. It employs approximately 10,000 people in different
departments, such as Preventing Crime and Investigating Cases (Muhire et al., 2022). A
Commissioner directly reports to the National Police Commissioner, and also chairs NOA's
Board. This organization helps keep crime down by preventing it before it happens through
investigations, enforcing court judgments, providing support for victims after crimes have been
committed, and more.
Criminal Justice System
Sweden's criminal justice system differs from many other nations in that it focuses on
rehabilitation instead of punishment. Despite this approach, Sweden has a high recidivism rate,
which means that many convicts are rearrested after leaving prison. This problem would be
difficult to solve if prisons were full because the country cannot accommodate everyone who
needs correctional services. To make room for new inmates, Swedish prisons have had to reduce
the time they offer prisoners credit for serving their sentences and devote more resources towards
treatment programs. Compared to American prisoners, Swedes receive better care regarding
living conditions and program availability while incarcerated (Hedstorm, 2018). Swedish
offenders often report higher satisfaction with their overall experience compared to Americans
convicted under similar circumstances.
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Sweden’s Constitution and Human Rights
The Swedish Constitution consists of four acts: The Instrument of Government, which
outlines Sweden's governmental structure, The Fundamental Law, which explains how Sweden's
government functions; the Administrative Procedures Act, which establishes guidelines and
procedures for implementing laws in practice; and finally, the Judicial System Act. Together
these documents form what is known as Sweden's "fundamental law.” Unlike other countries'
constitutions that have been amended over time (usually to reflect social changes), the 1975
Instrument of Government has not undergone any major revisions since it was first drafted
(Hedstorm, 2018). As a result, Swedes generally regard it as an accurate reflection of their
country's political system.
In Sweden, all power is derived from the people. This principle is enshrined in Article 1
of The Articles Act, which states, "All public power in Sweden originates with the people.” To
ensure this authority resides with the citizens and not any individual or group, universal suffrage
and freedom of expression are guaranteed. Local self-governance will be used to implement a
representative government that upholds these values while abiding by Swedish law. There is no
Bill of Rights in The Article Act because it recognizes that different situations require different
rules. Sweden joined the European Convention for Human Rights when it became a member
state of the EU in 1995; as such, it adopted many human rights protections into its legal system
(Hedstorm, 2018).
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References
Atske, S., Geiger, A. W., & Scheller, A. (2019, March 8). The share of women in legislatures
around the world is growing, but they are still underrepresented. Pew Research Center.
Retrieved March 7, 2023, from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/03/18/the-
share-of-women-in-legislatures-around-the-world-is-growing-but-they-are-still-
underrepresented/
Brunkhorst, J. (2020, March 25). The Swedish economy is a successful model of the economy.
Traders. Retrieved March 7, 2023, from https://traders-paradise.com/magazine/
2019/01/swedish-economy/
Hasan, A. (2020, December 1). Out of sight, out of mind: The trafficking of Sweden's migrants.
Retrieved March 8, 2023, from https://bpr.berkeley.edu/2020/12/01/out-of-sight-out-of-
mind-the-trafficking-of-swedens-migrants/
Sweden, U. S. M. (2023, January 24). Policy & history. U.S. Embassy in Sweden. Retrieved
March 7, 2023, from https://se.usembassy.gov/policy-history/
Muhire, H., Giansanti, E., & Schoultz, I. (2022). Sweden. Global Access to Justice Project.
Retrieved March 7, 2023, from https://globalaccesstojustice.com/global-overview-sweden/
Hedstrom, J. (2018, May). The American and Swedish criminal justice system: A comparative
study. Retrieved March 8, 2023, from https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article
=4835&context=etd
