Democracy in Norway
Lærerinnhold
Tips til undervisningen
Utforsk den interaktive illustrasjonen av maktfordelingsprinsippet.
Se filmen
Videoen består av 14 klipp. Det første klippet viser et digitalt kart over Norge, før vi ser slottet og Stortinget. Deretter vises et klipp fra en juridisk avtale som inngås, og vi ser et klipp med flagg fra forskjellige nasjoner i verden, før vi ser et nytt klipp av Stortinget. De neste åtte klippene viser eksempler på velferdsstaten og hva politikerne jobber for: skoler, sykehus, vannkraft og veier.
Forslag til spørsmål
Hva mener du Norge burde bruke mer penger på? Hva mener du Norge burde bruke mindre penger på?
Hva er positivt med at skoler og sykehus er gratis? Finnes det noe negativt?
Hvem burde bestemme hva man lærer om på skolen? Hva bør de som bestemmer tenke på?
Snakk sammen
Folket velger politikere som bestemmer ting som igjen påvirker hverdagen til folket. Hvilke partier flertallet stemmer på, får betydning for politikken i Norge og dermed folks hverdag.
Vi er alle med på å påvirke små og store saker både lokalt og nasjonalt gjennom stemmene våre. Alt er politikk: barnehagepriser, ordninger hos Nav, skatter og avgifter osv.
Lenker
Tips til undervisninga
Utforsk den interaktive illustrasjonen av maktfordelingsprinsippet.
Sjå filmen
Videoen er sett saman av 14 klipp. Det første klippet viser eit digitalt kart over Noreg, før vi ser Slottet og Stortinget. Deretter ser vi inngåing av ein juridisk avtale og flagg frå forskjellige nasjonar i verda, før vi ser eit nytt klipp av Stortinget. Dei neste åtte klippa viser døme på velferdsstaten og kva politikarane jobbar for: skular, sjukehus, vasskraft og vegar.
Framlegg til spørsmål
Kva meiner du Noreg burde bruke meir pengar på? Kva meiner du Noreg burde bruke mindre pengar på?
Kva er positivt med at skular og sjukehus er gratis? Finst det noko negativt?
Kven burde bestemme kva ein lærer om på skulen? Kva bør dei som bestemmer tenkje på?
Snakk saman
Folket vel politikarar som avgjer ulike ting, og desse avgjerdene påverkar så kvardagen til folket. Kva for parti fleirtalet stemmer på, har mykje å seie for politikken i Noreg og såleis for folk sin kvardag.
Vi er alle med på å påverke store og små saker, både på det lokale og det nasjonale nivået, gjennom stemmene våre. Alt er politikk: barnehageprisar, ordningane til Nav, skattar og avgifter osv.
Watch the film
Democracy in Norway
The central government, county authorities and municipalities
- There are 15 counties and 356 municipalities in Norway.
- Counties and municipalities are both geographical areas and administrative units subject to political control.
- Both the county authorities and the municipalities are self-governing in certain areas, even though the central government decides many things.
- The central government sets the framework for the counties and municipalities.
- The central government rules the whole country, while the county and municipal authorities only decide local issues.
Some of the central government's areas of responsibility:
- foreign policy
- hospitals
- laws
- school curricula
Some of the county authorities’ areas of responsibility:
- upper secondary education
- county roads
Some of the municipalities’ areas of responsibility:
- primary and lower secondary schools
- kindergartens
- care for the elderly
- refuse collection, water and sewerage
- municipal roads
Political and administrative control
The central government and the counties and municipalities are governed by politicians elected by the people. This means that politicians discuss issues and decide on a policy for different areas. But it is the civil servants in the public administration – state, county authority and municipal staff – who implement the policies.
Examples:
- Politicians adopt school curricula. Teachers teach in accordance with these curricula.
- Politicians adopt rules for the payment of social security benefits. NAV employees must comply with these rules.
The Storting
Norway's parliament is called the Storting. It has 169 members elected by the people for a term of four years. The members represent different political parties. The Storting is the supreme branch of government in Norway.
The Storting’s most important functions:
- to adopt new laws and amend old ones
- to adopt the national budget
- to oversee the government and the central government administration
- to debate political issues and major projects
Norway has an open democracy. Everyone who wants to can attend the Storting and listen to the politicians debating different issues. However, the public does not have the right to speak or make statements about matters in the Storting. Many matters are distributed for consultation. This gives experts and ordinary people the chance to have a say.
The government
After a general election, one or several parties form a new government. The government consists of the ministers (the political heads of each ministry) and the prime minister. One of the government's functions is to propose new laws and amend existing legislation, but the Storting adopts the laws and legislative amendments. The government is tasked with ensuring that the decisions of the Storting are implemented in practice. The government also prepares a national budget proposal every year.
Council of State
The government has a meeting with the King every Friday. At these meetings, the ministers inform the King about different political matters. This meeting is called the Council of State. The King does not have much political power, but these meetings are nevertheless important.
The principle of separation of powers
Separation of powers means that power is divided between three independent branches of government:
- A legislative branch – the Storting – which adopts laws.
- An executive branch – the government – which proposes laws and ensures that they are implemented.
- A judiciary branch – the courts of law – that pass judgment in court cases in accordance with the legislation adopted by the Storting.
When powers are divided between these three branches of government, none of them can have too much power. This thus secures democracy.
Talk together
- Talk about the governing bodies in countries you know of.
- Discuss the separation of power in Norway
- Discuss the central government’s, counties’ and municipalities’ tasks in a welfare society.
- How can you influence the society you live in?
- Do you think it is easier to influence local rather than national matters? Why or why not?
Select the right answer
Which of the alternatives fall under the central government’s areas of responsibility?
Select the right answer
What is Norway’s parliament called?
Select the right answer
What is a Council of State?
Select right or wrong
Read the statements. What is right? What is wrong?
Select right or wrong
Read the statements. What is right? What is wrong?