Swedish Agency Head Dataset

Data source: QoG Swedish Agency Database

Go to the original dataset webpage

Description:

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 head data, one observation corresponds to one agency head, while the variables cover factors such as the head's education and background experience.

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

Citation:

When using this dataset, please cite as:
• Dahlström, Carl, Holmgren, M., Björkdal, C., Hazell, K., Khomenko, A., Svensson, R., & Åberg, P. (2018). Swedish administrative agencies, 1960-2014. University of Gothenburg: The Quality of Government Institute.



Variables in this dataset:

Political Adviser
QoG Code: head_adviser

Denotes whether an agency head has served as a political adviser (politiskt sakkunning) in the parliament or government. The political adviser is a politically appointed position at the Government Offices, but also sometimes used to refer to positions in the parties' respective parliamentary offices. The position covers a variety of advisory functions, but can also include communicative assignments with media, lobbyists, party constituencies, and other external actors. 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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Agency ID
QoG Code: head_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 section 2.2.2).

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Agency Name
QoG Code: head_agency_name

Lists the name of an agency. Note that an agency can have more than one name throughout its lifespan.

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Chief of Planning
QoG Code: head_cop

Denotes whether an agency head has served as a chief of planning (planeringschef). The chief of planning is a politically appointed position at the Government Offices, usually focused on coordinating the government's political advisers and carrying out various policy relevant investigations. Note, however, that some ministers are also known to have used the position largely as a way to reward and retain competent personnel within their departments, as opposed to filling any specific functional role. 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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Education
QoG Code: head_edu

Denotes an agency head's level of education. 1 = Incomplete primary school or equivalent mandatory education 2 = Primary school or equivalent mandatory education 3 = Incomplete secondary school 4 = Complete secondary school 5 = Post-secondary school (not university) 6 = Incomplete university education 7 = Complete university education 8 = Complete Ph.D. 9999 = Missing

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Appointment (Year)
QoG Code: head_enter

Denotes the year during which an agency head was appointed to their position. Note that executive agencies are appointed collectively by the government, while parliamentary agencies are appointed collectively by the parliament. Tenure-times can vary in practice, but the contracts usually cover six years of employment with a possibility for three-year extensions. 9999 = Missing

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Exit (Year)
QoG Code: head_exit

Denotes the year during which an agency head left their position. Note that executive agencies are appointed collectively by the government, while parliamentary agencies are appointed collectively by the parliament. Tenure-times can vary in practice, but the contracts usually cover six years of employment with a possibility for three-year extensions. 9998 = Censored (i.e. still employed by the end of the observation period) 9999 = Missing

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Agency Head ID
QoG Code: head_id

Denotes an agency head's identification number. By agency head we mean the individual serving as the highest ranking administrative official in an agency (see further section 2.3.1, 2.3.2, 2.3.7). The vast majority of heads are only observed once, corresponding to the fact that they have only ever led a single agency. Some heads, however, have led more than one agency, and will accordingly be observed once for each appointment. A unique appointment identifier can easily be constructed by combining the agency ID with the head ID.

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Local Politician (Full-time)
QoG Code: head_localft

Denotes whether an agency head has been elected to a local democratic assembly as a full-time politician. Note that only about two percent of all local politicians have politics as their full-time job. 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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Local Politician (Part-time)
QoG Code: head_localpt

Denotes whether an agency head has been elected to a local democratic assembly as a part-time politician. Note that only about two percent of all local politicians have politics as their full-time job. 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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Minister
QoG Code: head_minister

Denotes whether an agency head has served as a minister (statsråd). The ministers are the leaders of the various departments at the Government Offices. Note, however, that the Swedish constitution grants all administrative agencies formal independence from the government. Consequently, although the ministers are the formal leaders of the departments that the agencies sort under, they are not the formal leaders of the agencies. 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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Member of Parliament
QoG Code: head_mp

Denotes whether an agency head has been elected to the national parliament (riksdagsledamot). 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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Party
QoG Code: head_party

Denotes whether an agency head has an employment background in a political party. 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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Party Leader
QoG Code: head_partylead

Denotes whether an agency head has an employment background as a party leader. 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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Other
QoG Code: head_polother

Denotes whether an agency head has held a representative position (förtroendeuppdrag) at the national level other than the ones listed above. 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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Party Affiliation
QoG Code: head_polparty

Denotes an agency head's party affiliation. Note that this variable is based on an agency head's biographical background, not on actual party membership. footnote{Further note that it is illegal to keep records of an individual's political preferences in Sweden (åsiktsregistrering) unless you have the individual's explicit consent. The variable has been approved for use by the Regional Ethics Committee in Gothenburg (Regionala etikprövningsnämnden i Göteborg, dnr 1030-13).} We consider an agency head to have a party affiliation if they have been: elected to a local democratic assembly (section 3.4.1, 3.4.2); elected to parliament (section 3.4.3); appointed as minister (section 3.4.4); appointed as secretary of state (section 3.4.5, 3.4.6); appointed as chief of planning (section 3.4.7); appointed as political adviser (section 3.4.8); employed by a political party (subsection 3.3.1, 3.3.2); employed by a political party's youth section (section 3.3.7, 3.3.8); or employed by an organization otherwise clearly associated with a political party, such as the blue-collar union confederation textit{Landsorganisationen} (section 3.3.5, 3.3.6). The variable can be made more restrictive by selectively excluding observations from any of the above categories. The variable's party codes are as follows: 0 = No Party Affilliation 1 = Left Party (Vänsterpartiet) 2 = Social Democratic Party (Socialdemokraterna) 3 = Centre Party (Centerpartiet) 4 = Liberal People's Party (Folkpartiet) 5 = Moderate Party (Moderaterna) 6 = Christian Democrats (Kristdemokraterna) 7 = Green Party (Miljöpartiet) 8 = Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna) 9 = Other political party 99 = Politically active, but insufficient information to determine party affiliation (e.g. a source might state that an individual has been elected to a local democratic assembly, but without specifying for which party) 9999 = Missing

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CEO (Private Sector)
QoG Code: head_priceo

Denotes the number of years previously employed as a chief executive officer (verkställande direktör) in the private sector. 99 = Unknown number of years 9999 = Missing

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Manager (Private Sector)
QoG Code: head_priman

Denotes the number of years previously employed as a manager (chef) in the private sector. 99 = Unknown number of years 9999 = Missing

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CEO (Public Sector)
QoG Code: head_pubceo

Denotes the number of years previously employed as chief executive officer (generaldirektör) in the public sector. 99 = Unknown number of years 9999 = Missing

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Manager (Public Sector)
QoG Code: head_pubman

Denotes the number of years previously employed as a manager (chef) in the public sector. 99 = Unknown number of years 9999 = Missing

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Secretary of State (after 1976)
QoG Code: head_secstatea

Denotes whether an agency head has served as a secretary of state (statssekreterare) and was appointed to the position after 1976. The state secretaries are the second-in-command at the Government Offices, following the ministers. These positions were originally considered as part of the permanent civil service, but have been gradually politicized over time and are now considered as strictly political. The 1976 general election is usually viewed as the breaking point that cemented the state secretaries as political appointees rather than civil servants. 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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Secretary of State (before 1976)
QoG Code: head_secstateb

Denotes whether an agency head has served as a secretary of state (statssekreterare) and was appointed to the position before 1976. The state secretaries are the second-in-command at the Government Offices, following the ministers. These positions were originally considered as part of the permanent civil service, but have been gradually politicized over time and are now considered as strictly political. The 1976 general election is usually viewed as the breaking point that cemented the state secretaries as political appointees rather than civil servants. 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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Sex
QoG Code: head_sex

Denotes an agency head's sex. 0 = Male 1 = Female 9999 = Missing

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Agency Head Title
QoG Code: head_title

Lists an agency head's formal title. 9999 = Missing

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Think Tank (Left)
QoG Code: head_ttleft

Denotes whether an agency head has an employment background in a left-leaning Think Tank. 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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Think Tank (Right)
QoG Code: head_ttright

Denotes whether an agency head has an employment background in a right-leaning Think Tank. 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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Union
QoG Code: head_union

Denotes whether an agency head has an employment background in a union. 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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Union Manager
QoG Code: head_unionm

Denotes whether an agency head has an employment background as a union manager (chef). 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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Year of Birth
QoG Code: head_yob

Denotes an agency head's year of birth. 9999 = Missing

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Youth Organization
QoG Code: head_youth

Denotes whether an agency head has an employment background in a political youth organization. Note that, while the youth organizations are usually tied to an established political party, they can sometimes act relatively independently. The Sweden Democrats, for example, terminated their youth organization in 2015 for being too radical (but later founded a new youth organization with a different name). 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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Youth Organization Leader
QoG Code: head_youthlead

Denotes whether an agency head has held a representative position (förtroendeuppdrag) in a political youth organization. Note that, while the youth organizations are usually tied to an established political party, they can sometimes act relatively independently. The Sweden Democrats, for example, terminated their youth organization in 2015 for being too radical (but later founded a new youth organization with a different name). 0 = No 1 = Yes 9999 = Missing

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