The role of cultural policy within the general political planning of a community can vary both historically and regionally. The aim of this study has been to explore the cultural policy plans, during the 1990's, in the recently formed geographical region of "Västra Götaland". This is a qualitative study, carried out during 1999, and based upon structured interviews with five representatives of the cultural-policy sector in the "Västra Götaland" region. In order to identify connections and tendencies in a more general social context the aims of the five representatives regarding cultural policy have been explored from the perspective of three cultural policy paradigms, namely Dorte Skot-Hansen, Olav R. Spilling and Göran Nylöf. To get a deeper understanding of existing regional politics, the General Regional Development Plan from "Västra Götaland" and two other Swedish regions have been examined from a cultural policy perspective. In addition, the results of the interviews have been compared to the General Regional Development Plans. In the scientific survey of the study, the concepts and terminology of the development plans are discussed and clarified. The study also includes a review of the regional political ideas that existed in Swedish society from the 1950´s to the end of the 1990´s. There is also a historical review of national and regional cultural policy from the 1970´s up to the present day. This study demonstrates that today cultural policy is perceived to have a more important and integrated role in general developmental politics, than in the past.