laglydighet

Laglydighet is a term used in Swedish to describe the extent to which individuals, organizations, and institutions comply with laws, regulations, and official decisions. It covers obedience to statutes, court rulings, permits, and regulatory requirements, as well as respect for the legal framework that governs public and private life.

In political and legal theory, laglydighet is closely tied to the legitimacy of authority and the rule of law. High laglydighet supports predictable governance and public safety, while persistent non‑compliance can undermine trust, economic performance, and social cohesion. Civil liberties and rights are often weighed against demands for obedience.

Scholars distinguish between legal obedience and the moral legitimacy of laws. Civil disobedience, when exercised, is typically a public, non‑violent breach of specific laws to advocate change, appearing as a test of the law’s legitimacy rather than a rejection of lawful order as such.

Several factors influence laglydighet, including perceived fairness and effectiveness of laws, clarity and accessibility of information, speed and fairness of enforcement, and social norms. Trust in public institutions and perceived consequences also play major roles, as do economic incentives or penalties.

Laglydighet is relevant in many domains, such as tax compliance, traffic regulations, environmental rules, public-health directives, and administrative procedures. Researchers measure it with surveys, analysis of enforcement data, and experiments to test how different rules or messages affect compliance.