The division of responsibilities between the Swedish State and the local governments has shifted over time. The State adopts laws that establish a framework of local government operations. It also provides guidance and supervision to local governments through its power to issue ordinances and regulations. For same years relations between the State and the local governments have been characterized by a trend toward deregulation.
State responsibilities
- Foreign policy and defence
- Public order and security in Sweden
- The judicial system
- Macroeconomic policy
- Higher education and research
- Highways and long-distance transportation and communications
- Labour marker policy and employment issues
- Housing policy
- Social insurance and transfer payments (pensions, child allowances, sick pay, unemployment benefits etc.)
The County council's responsibilities
- Health care system, both preventive health care and medical care
- Dental care to children and young people up to the age 20
- Regional and local public transit systems
Municipal responsibilities
The municipalities, which together cover the entire territory of Sweden, have broad responsibilities in the fields of:
- Social welfare
- Education and child care
- The planning of community issues
- Maintenance and protection of the physical environment in community issues
- Emergency services
- Civil defence
- Technical services: water, sewage and energy
- Recreation and cultural programs