Utbildningsnivå i riksdagen : utbildningsnivå hos riksdagens ledamöter 1971-2006

Sammanfattning: In the past decades the level of education of the Swedish population has steadily risen. This paper asks questions about the level of education level among members of the Swedish parliament, Riksdagen. The answers are found by studying biographic data over members of parliament between 1971 and 2006. In 1971 a new riksdag, enkammarriksdagen which consists of one “House”, was founded. Earlier, the Riksdag consisted of two “Houses”. Biographical data over all members of parliament from 1971 to 2006 are available the public and represents the source material to this study. This study shows that there is a significant change in the overall education level among members of parliament during this period. During this period the education system as well as the political system, especially the election system, has undergone significant changes. This study also shows that the education level in members of parliament differ from the education level of the rest of the population. It also reveals a possible tendency towards not finishing or graduating from higher education among members of parliament. However, this study can only present possible explanations to this fact and does not draw any general conclusions about the future of this tendency. One possible explanation suggests that the changes in the election system are linked to the education level development of the members of parliament.