G11-3

=Swedish Citizens= One can become a Swedish citizen through birth to a swedish mother or if the child was born in Sweden to a swedish father. There are a few other stipulations such as the child's parents being married and the child having one swedish parent or the parent having been a citizen though deceased prior to the child's birth**.** [|**http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/pdfid/420cadf64.pdf**] [|**http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/2188/a/19449**]
 * Naturalization**

At age 18 a Swedish citizen has the right to vote, have a drivers license, purchase tobacco, purchase alcohol from a bar, and buy light or folk beer(lower alcohol content) from stores. At age 20 a Swedish citizen is permitted to buy alcohol from the government owned liquor store System Bolaget, as it is not permitted to own a private liquor store in Sweden.
 * Rights**

The Swedish Parliament currently consists of 349 representatives from seven different parties such as the Social Democratic party, Moderate party, and the Centre Party. The parliament is now constituted of 53% men and 47% women, the second highest percentage of women parliamentarians in the world. [|**http://www.riksdagen.se/templates/R_Page____773.aspx**]
 * Parliament**

The federal government of Sweden has the right to levy taxes on income, and sales while the county governments have the right to tax residents income. Swedes typically pay between 60% and 70% income tax, varying by county, of which roughly half is payed by the employer and the other half appears on employees pay checks as being deducted. Retired persons, however, typically recieve a pension equivalent to roughly 70% of their income prior to retirement and may revieve more if they postpone retirement to beyond age 61 or have a pension plan with their employer as well. [|**http://www.skatteverket.se/international/inenglish.4.3a2a542410ab40a421c80006827.html**]
 * Taxes**

Swedish Health Care provides for all citizens or legal residents and is free with the exception of small copays equalling between $20 and $50 for services such as doctors visits and X-Rays. These expenses are capped at 900kr or roughly $120 annually, the rest being paid by the state. As all citizens and legal residents are covered, the waiting time for recieving care is greater than that in the US with an exception being made for emergencies for which patients recieve prompt care. One can expect to see a physician within three days of making an appointment and can expect to recieve any procedures deemed necessary within 30 days of diagnosis. [|**http://www.thelocal.se/13882/20080822/**]
 * Health care**

The current laws provide maternity leave for one parent with the option of recieving 80% of the parent's income for a shorter duration of leave or extending their leave but forgoing the parental allowance. It is also the responsibility both parents to take leave at the same time for the first 30 days after the child is born or those parents do not recieve their parental allowance for those 30 days. The law also provides the option to change the distribution of time during which parents may work 75% of their normal hours at their job until their child reaches 8 years of age. [] Swedes recieve free education including primary school through college and parents recieve a child allowance of roughly $1800 a year.
 * Child Care**

Swedes enjoy a right not present in countries outside of Scandinavia; allemansrätten(literally everyone's right) translated as the right of public access. The law permits all people in Sweden(citizens and visitors) to use the outdoors of Sweden in various ways. This includes passing through people's private property, as long as it is not within earshot of their house, for activities such as biking, skiing, and hiking. One of the main points that citizens and foreigners enjoy is the permittance of camping in any one place for no longer than one day. This is one of the many tourist attractions for French and German vacationers over the summer. In addition property owners may not put up fences where the right of public access applies. Exceptions to allemansrätten include places involved in agriculture and national parks and nature preserves where access is permitted, though where you may go in those places is limited. [|**http://www.swedishepa.com/en/In-English/Menu/Enjoying-nature/The-right-of-public-access/**]
 * Allemansrätt**

We may infer from the taxes swedes pay, the benefits they get, and the give and take relationship between individual citizens of Sweden that swedes have a great love for, and trust in, their government. Swedes recognize that they pay high taxes but stand firm in the belief that it is money well spent for their own long term welfare and that of other citizens of Sweden. Because of these things a good citizen of Sweden may be defined as a hard worker, invested family member, contented tax payer, passionate politics follower, and compassionate neighbor.
 * A Good Swedish Citizen**