The American and Swedish Governments:
A Brief Comparison

Constitutions

The United States and Sweden each have a Constitution, granting them Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances, Individual Rights, and Popular Sovereignty in their countries.

The U.S. Constitution was signed in 1787, was agreed upon by the people and the government, is amendable, and abolished monarchy.

The Swedish Constitution was written in 1809. It is amendable, and was revised in 1974, when Sweden formally switched from a monarchy to a constitutional monarchy.

In 1789, James Madison introduced 19 amendments to the Constitution. On September 25, 1789, Congress adopted 12 of the amendments and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, were ratified and became part of the Constitution on December 10, 1791.

The Bill of Rights guarantees individuals certain basic protections as citizens, including freedom of speech, religion and the press; the right to bear and keep arms; the right to peaceably assemble; protection from unreasonable search and seizure; and the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury.

Four fundamental laws make up the Swedish Constitution: The Instrument of Government, The Act of Succession, The Freedom of the Press Act and The Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression.

Branches of Government

The U.S. and Sweden have similar systems of government, with power distributed in similar manners.

The United States federal government has three branches: The Executive (The President), Legislative (Congress), and Judicial (Federal Courts and the Supreme Court).

The Swedish government has the same three branches, represented in a parliamentary form: The Executive (the Prime Minister and some goverment offices), Legislative (The Riksdag), and Judicial (The Judiciary).

Both countries have governments established at the federal, regional (state, in the case of the U.S.), and local levels.