| Summary: | Parlamentarism in Norwegian counties better management and democracy? Since the establishment of the modern county in Norway in 1976, county government has been managed according to the alderman principle, which is characterized by proportional election of parties to the executive board. However, in 1999 the county of Nordland introduced the parliamentary principle, and three other counties, Hedmark, Nord-Trøndelag and Troms, followed suit in 2003. A core element in parliamentarian government is that the cabinet is elected by a majoritarian vote. The effects of parliamentarism at the county level have been majority rule. A majority of the county representatives states that the goals for the reform are realised and there is an increase in support for parliamentarism as a management model. Furthermore, many opposition politicians experience it as being less meaningful and useful to participate in county politics after the introduction of parliamentarism. This is due to the parties in power being given greater resources and capacity, and that politics have taken on a more closed form. There are not any measurable external effects of the new parliamentarian system, like turnouts and the citizens knowledge and trust on the counties. All in all, introduction of parliamentarism at the county level has resulted in management improvements, but not in a better democracy.
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