The 10 levels of power: who decides what, from your street to the G20

Power over your life is held at ten levels, from the residents' association on your street to the IMF and the G20. This site follows each one through the official record: who sits at that level, what they decide, how they spend money and how they vote, with a link to the source for every fact.

Search people, places and bodies World leaders UK prime ministers

1. Level 10 of 10

   G7, G20, Davos and global forums

   Bilderberg, CFR, G20, G7, WEF.

2. Level 9 of 10

   The IMF, World Bank and global finance

   AfDB, ADB, AIIB, BIS, BCBS, EBRD, EIB, FSB, IMF, Paris Club, WBG.

3. Level 8 of 10

   The UN and global treaty bodies

   Commonwealth, ICJ, ICC, ILO, INTERPOL, NATO, UNHCR, UN, UNICEF, UNESCO, HRC, UNSC, WFP, WHO, WTO.

4. Level 7 of 10

   Regional blocs and supranational bodies

   AU, ASEAN, CoE / ECtHR, ECB, ECtHR, EU, GCC, Mercosur, SCO.

5. Level 6 of 10

   National government

   650 MPs, 620 Commons votes, 112 bills and 193 national governments.

6. Level 5 of 10

   Devolved and state governments

   Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and states and provinces around the world.

7. Level 4 of 10

   County councils, combined authorities and metro mayors

   Counties, combined authorities, metro mayors, police forces, NHS trusts and water companies.

8. Level 3 of 10

   Local councils

   361 UK council areas with official figures, and what each council spends.

9. Level 2 of 10

   Parish, town and community councils

   Parish, town and community councils, and the lowest tier of local government worldwide.

10. Level 1 of 10

    Neighbourhood and community power

    How residents' groups, community councils and customary leaders work in 193 countries.

How the levels connect

Money and law flow down the ladder and accountability flows up it. The UK government sets most council funding and the rules councils work to; councils set the council tax that parishes add their precept to; the UK pays into the IMF, World Bank and UN and has a vote on how they spend it. Each level's page links to the ones above and below it.

Where to start

• Find your council, constituency and MP from a postcode.
• Every country's official record, including how local power works in each one.
• Every MP's votes, interests and costs.

Common questions

What are the 10 levels of power?

From the smallest to the largest: neighbourhood and community power; parish, town and community councils; local councils; county councils, combined authorities and metro mayors; devolved and state governments; national government; regional blocs and supranational bodies; the un and global treaty bodies; the imf, world bank and global finance; g7, g20, davos and global forums.

Which level of power is the most powerful?

National governments make law and set taxes, so in most countries they hold the most formal power. Bodies above them, such as the EU, the UN Security Council and the IMF, can bind countries only through treaties those governments signed.