This chapter traces the historical evolution of Swedish local government, highlighting key institutional transformations from the nineteenth century to the present. We outline the shift from early parish-based self-rule to the 1862 municipal reform, the rise of representative democracy, and the significant impact of the 1952–1974 amalgamations. These reforms aimed to enhance administrative capacity but often came at the expense of local democratic engagement. Moreover, we describe how New Public Management reforms, EU integration, and participatory innovations have reshaped governance since the 1990s. We conclude by highlighting enduring tensions between municipalities as autonomous democratic arenas and as the central state’s administrative tools, questioning whether current institutions adequately reflect how society has evolved and contemporary demands and democratic ideals.