Data source: QoG Swedish Agency Database
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corresponds to one fiscal year, while the variables cover factors such as the amount of funds that were allocated and withdrawn from the agency during that year.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.
When using this dataset, please cite as:
(Dahlström et al.,
2018)
Browse variables and select them for download.
agency_fy
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 agenc ...
budget_agency_id
Denotes 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 ...
budget_agency_name
Lists the name of an agency. Note that an agency can have more than one name throughout its lifespan.
budget_amend
Denotes 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 ...
budget_credit
Denotes 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 i ...
budget_fbudget
Denotes 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 calculate ...
budget_ibudget
Denotes 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 (budge ...
budget_inflation
Denotes a CPI-based multiplier for transforming the budget data into 2014 SEK (from Statistics Sweden).
budget_obudget
Denotes an agency's actual budget outcome (budgetutfall). Note that, while the budget outcome correlates almost perfectly with the final budget, they are rarely equal.
budget_overrun
Denotes the amount of budget overrun covered by the government (medgivna budgetöverskridanden, merutgift). Note that, before 1997, the government could authorize budget overruns unilaterally without ...
budget_overrunef
Denotes the amount of overrun financed via the Budget Equalization Fund (budgetutjämningsfonden). Only relevant for the fiscal years prior to 1981.
budget_overrunsb
Denotes the amount of overrun financed via special budgets (specialbudget). Only relevant for the fiscal years prior 1981.
budget_reserv
Denotes 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 ...
budget_saving
Denotes 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 f ...
budget_withdr
Denotes 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 o ...