This database consists of a comprehensive sample of administrative agencies in the Swedish executive bureaucracy between 1960 and 2014. The database is constituted by three distinct datasets: one that focuses on an agency's formal instruction; one that focuses on an agency's head; and one that focuses on an agency's budget. Note that each dataset has its own unit of analysis. The agency's head data can be found at SND.
The data was originally assembled for the project "The Politics of Administrative Design" (financed by the Swedish Research Council through grant 2014-947), which focused on how partisan shifts in government can affect the staff, structure, and process of public bureaucracies. The purpose of the dataset is to provide a quantitative catalogue of Swedish agencies for public use.
For the agency budget data, one observation corresponds to one fiscal year, while the variables cover factors such as the amount of funds that were allocated and withdrawn from the agency during that year.
Finally, all three datasets contain relevant time-period indicators to enable users to determine the temporal coverage of an observation (e.g., enactment and revocation dates for the instructions). In total, the database covers 1925 agency instructions, 2315 agency heads, and 7102 fiscal years.
Importantly, while each dataset has its own unit of analysis, we have also included a unifying agency identification number that can be used to link variables across all three datasets. For example, suppose that we are interested in the School Inspectorate ("Skolinspektionen"). We can then start our investigation in either of the three datasets, and use the agency's ID number to match the agency's various instructions, heads, and budgets over time. Note, however, that because the units do not perfectly overlap (e.g., one fiscal year may cover more than one agency head), merging the datasets will require substantive decisions about how to structure the information in each dataset. For this reason, we have left it to the user's discretion to decide whether and how to merge the datasets, rather than impose any particular structure on all three datasets. In total, the database contains information on 664 unique agencies.
Last updated by source: 2018-09-09
| Dataset type: | Time-Series |
| Dataset level: | Other |
(Dahlström et al.,
2018)
Denotes the fiscal year. Note that the budget data covers all agencies with their own lines in the national budget. If an agency is missing budget information for an entire fiscal year, then the agency did not have an independent budget line during that year. If an agency is missing budget information for a particular variable, then the budget line did not report any information for that variable (we have only coded a variable as 0 when the budget actually reports a 0). Further note that the parliament confirmed a new comprehensive budget law in late 1996 (SFS 1996:1059, effective from 1997), which substantially reformed the appropriations process. Among many other changes, the law realigned the fiscal year to follow the calendar year, which meant that all agencies received a one-time budget increase in 1997 to cover an additional six month's worth of funding.
More about this variableDenotes an agency's identification number. By agency we mean any public organization formally authorized to exercise public authority on behalf of either the government or the parliament (see further section 2.2.2).
More about this variableLists the name of an agency. Note that an agency can have more than one name throughout its lifespan.
More about this variableDenotes the amount of funds amended to an agency's budget (ändringsbudget, tidigare tilläggsbudget). The government can increase, decrease, or transfer an agency's funds by proposing an amendment to the appropriation bill. Amendments are subject to parliamentary confirmation and usually submitted twice per year: once during the spring; and once during the autumn.
More about this variableDenotes the amount of credit granted to an agency (anslagskredit). From 2011 and onwards, an agency has the right to take out a loan, with a corresponding reduction in the agency's budget allocation in the following year. The credit was initially to be set individually by the government, but now all agencies have a generalized base credit corresponding to three percent of their budget allocation.
More about this variableDenotes the sum of funds granted to an agency in a given fiscal year (totalt tilldelade medel). This variable is the sum of five other variables and corresponds to how the Swedish government calculates the grand total of an agency's annual grants. The five composite variables are: 4.2.1 Initial Budget 4.3.1 Amendment 4.3.2 Withdrawal 4.3.3 Reservation 4.3.4 Overrun The composite variables capture an agency's budget at the start of the fiscal year, as well as any subsequent changes made to that budget throughout the remainder of the year. See the individual variable subsections for further notes.
More about this variableDenotes the amount of funds granted to an agency at the start of a fiscal year (budgetanslag, anvisad budget). Note that the initial budget is part of the government's annual appropriation bill (budgetproposition)---which requires parliamentary confirmation to pass---and that the funds can be comprised of multiple grants, awarded from multiple departments, and manipulated in multiple ways throughout the fiscal year.
More about this variableDenotes a CPI-based multiplier for transforming the budget data into 2014 SEK (from Statistics Sweden).
More about this variableDenotes an agency's actual budget outcome (budgetutfall). Note that, while the budget outcome correlates almost perfectly with the final budget, they are rarely equal.
More about this variableDenotes the amount of budget overrun covered by the government (medgivna budgetöverskridanden, merutgift). Note that, before 1997, the government could authorize budget overruns unilaterally without concern for any formal expenditure ceilings, so long as the government deemed the additional funds necessary to assure the realization of the original funding objective. footnote{The perhaps most notorious example of how these overruns could be used in practice are the so-called thousand crown grants (1000-kronorsanslag), which meant that an agency received about a hundred dollars for its initial budget, but with an implicit credit line to cover any additional expenditures.} From 1997 and onwards, the government can still authorize budget overruns, but only within the current expenditure ceiling or with parliamentary confirmation. footnote{Further note that, for the years prior to 1981, this variable includes overruns financed via the Budget Equalization Fund (budgetutjämningsfonden) and regulated by special budgets (specialbudget).}
More about this variableDenotes the amount of overrun financed via the Budget Equalization Fund (budgetutjämningsfonden). Only relevant for the fiscal years prior to 1981.
More about this variableDenotes the amount of overrun financed via special budgets (specialbudget). Only relevant for the fiscal years prior 1981.
More about this variableDenotes the amount of funds reserved from last year's budget (ingående reservationsanslag och ramöverföringsbelopp). Grants that cover multiple years have become increasingly common since the 1970s and now represent the most common type of grant. For these grants, the government first authorizes an agency in one year to use a given set of funds across multiple years, but with the caveat that the funds must be used for the same objective over the entire period. When the next fiscal year then eventually arrives, any potentially unresolved funds from the preceding year's grant are filed as an inbound budget reservation. Note that the reservation can be either a saving, in which case it corresponds to a positive amount, or a debt, in which case it corresponds to a negative amount. Further note that reservations can expire, after which they are filed as withdrawals (see section 4.2.2).
More about this variableDenotes an agency's budget savings (anslagssparande, besparing). Note that, before 1997, all unspent funds went back to the government by default, after which the government could re-appropriate the funds for other objectives. From 1997 and onwards, an agency can save funds for future fiscal years, unless the government decides otherwise. During this latter period, if an agency decides to save part of their funds, the funds are filed as an outbound reservation (see section 4.2.3); if the government decides to re-appropriate an agency's savings, the funds are filed as a withdrawal (see section 4.2.2). footnote{Further note that, for the years prior to 1981, this variable includes savings transferred to the Budget Equalization Fund (budgetutjämningsfonden) and regulated by special budgets (specialbudget).}
More about this variableDenotes the amount of funds withdrawn from an agency's budget (budgetindragning). From 1997 and onwards, the government can unilaterally withdraw an agency's funds and either re-appropriate them for other objectives, or return them to the parliament. Note that both expired reservations (see section 4.2.3) and claimed savings (see section 4.2.5) are filed as withdrawals during this period.
More about this variable