Henrik Nordvall är docent i pedagogik och universitetslektor i vuxenpedagogik vid Institutionen för beteendevetenskap och lärande, Linköpings universitet, samt föreståndare för Mimer -Nationellt program för folkbildningsforskning.

In Sweden, there are no specific academic paths leading to a political career and many local elected leaders develop the knowledge they need in other ways. The aim of this article is to find out which kinds of knowledge they value and how they develop these. Using the results from questionnaires and interviews with local social democratic leaders, four groups of knowledge that constitute symbolic capital in the field of Swedish local politics are identified: ideological, communicative, organisational and academic. Some types of knowledge are communicated openly, whilst others are hard to pinpoint and even contradictory, which tends to exclude some members. Both long-term members and newer members find attending party training useful to develop the knowledge they need to get elected and fulfil their political assignment.