The How and Why of Scandinavian Legislative Committees

The Scandinavian countries, Norway, Denmark and Sweden have had legislative committees for more than hundred years. All three countries have reformed their committee system several times since the institutionalization of parliamentarism. However, despite the similarity in their political systems, the changes to the committee systems in the three countries have taken quite different routes. In the beginning of the 20th century Norway had the strongest legislative committees, with the best opportunities to influence the legislative process and output. However, this has changed during the last hundred years. The legislative committees in Sweden and Denmark have on the opposite hand evolved into having greater possibilities to influence the legislative process and output. This paper analyzes why this is so using a rational choice approach emphasizing that actors in power seek to maintain institutions which preserve a balance of power whereas actors outside the circle of power seeks to challenge the status quo ensuring them influence.