The Storting

Norway is divided into 19 counties and 430 municipalities (2008). The powers of the county and municipal councils for self-government have been delegated from the State, and are set out in legislation, not in the Constitution.  The State is directly represented at a local level through the County Governors’ offices. The municipalities are the most important units of local government...

Traditionally, the Judiciary is known as the third branch of government. The ordinary courts of law in Norway consist of the Supreme Court of Justice (Høyesterett), the Interlocutory Appeals Committee of the Supreme Court (Høyesteretts kjæremålsutvalg), the Courts of Appeal (lagmannsrettene), the District Courts (tingrett), and the Conciliation Courts (forliksrådet), as well as several special...

In formal terms, Norway is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democratic system of governance. Democratic because the source of political power and legitimacy according to the Constitution lies with the people, in that all citizens are able to participate in the Storting (Norwegian national assembly), county and municipal councils.  Parliamentary in as much as the Government, as t