I'm not defending Monarchy in any way, but it's his job to care about the Swedish populace. That he hasn't been elected to this position doesn't mean that he does not fulfill his job, so I would assume that at least he is better informed than the random person on the street.
Nah, he's detached from the Government and has no formal power at all. He is however a very public person, and pretty much never offers any dissenting views from the government.