The democratic area with all its power and influence is a controversial one. Studies in social science indicate that there is an existing ideal where politicians are the decision makers and the public officials are their instruments. This ideal should, however, be questioned since public servants also have the capacity to make important decisions. The aim of this study is to contribute to this controversial area by investigating the amount of influence public officials perceive that they have. The theoretical framework is based on various theories on power. 

A study where five public officials in two Swedish municipalities, one smaller and one larger, are interviewed is carried out. The results reveal that the public officials experience varying degrees of influence. Furthermore the results show that the public servants in the smaller municipality experience more power to contribute with their own ideas in the decision-making process. 

In the concluding discussion, based on the theoretical framework, it is found that the close proximity between the public officials and the decision makers allows for a greater amount of influence in the smaller municipality whereas the opposite is true for the larger one. It is also found that the perceived amount of influence also varies depending on the public officials’ differing views on their own roles.