Study title

Survey of Departing Local Councillors 1997

Dataset ID Number

FSD1189

Persistent identifier

urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD1189

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Pikkala, Sari (Åbo Akademi University. Institute for Comparative Nordic Politics and Administration)

Abstract

The survey was targeted to municipal councillors in Finland who stood down at the 1996 local elections. The main objective was to study their reasons for not standing as a candidate for the council.

Respondents were asked whether they held elective offices in their political party or in local government, regional or central government. The total length of time respondents had held offices in local/regional/central government was charted. Respondents were asked whether they aimed to give up other elective offices, in addition to standing down as councillors. Participation in municipal council meetings and anticipatory group meetings were surveyed. Support for council participation received from spouses, family members, employers, colleagues, trade union, friends and the party was evaluated. Views were probed on the municipality's attitude towards local politics. Perceived conflicts between home life, employment, leisure, other elective offices, and council membership were investigated.

The survey carried a set of reasons for standing down at the election, and asked respondents to rate the importance of each reason in their decision to depart the council. Personal reasons stated included age, long experience as councillor, health problems, difficulty to fit in council duties with the burdens of home life and work, lack of knowledge, time demands of acting as a councillor, inadequacy of financial compensation, change in personal circumstances. Reasons connected to the municipal organisation included lack of influence, problems with the balance of power between administrators and council, and public attitude towards local politicians. Reasons connected to party politics included lack of personal influence in the party, lack of support from the party, disagreement with party line, conflict within or between party groups in the council, lack of influence of the party.

Background variables included the respondent's year of birth, sex, mother tongue, marital status, number of under-age children, length of residence in the municipality, education, employment status, employer type, party membership and length of membership.

Keywords

councillors; local government; local politics; municipal councils; municipal government; political representation

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Elites and leadership (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Government, political systems and organisations (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Individual datasets

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.

Data Collector

• Pikkala, Sari (Åbo Akademi University. Institute for Comparative Nordic Politics and Administration)

Data Producers

• Åbo Akademi University. Institute for Comparative Nordic Politics and Administration

Time Period Covered

1997

Collection Dates

1997

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland, Espoo, Haukipudas, Humppila, Hämeenlinna, Iitti, Jaala, Joroinen, Kaarina, Karstula, Kemiö, Kerava, Kiikala, Kokkola, Kolari, Kotka, Kristiinankaupunki, Kuhmoinen, Outokumpu, Lappeenranta, Leppävirta, Lieksa, Liljendahl, Lumijoki, Mikkeli, Multia, Naantali, Noormarkku, Närpiö, Oulainen, Padasjoki, Pieksämäki, Porvoo, Rural Municipality of Porvoo, Pudasjärvi, Punkaharju, Pyhäntä, Pylkönmäki, Ranua, Rääkkylä, Sonkajärvi, Suolahti, Tyrnävä, Vaasa, Vahto, Varkaus, Vehkalahti, Vimpeli, Virrat

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

Persons who had acted as councillors in the sample municipalities in 1995 but had stood down at the 1996 municipal elections. Persons who had left the council during the electoral period were not included.

Time Method

Cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Total universe/Complete enumeration

Collection Mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Paper

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Response Rate

74

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Data Version

1.0

Completeness of Data and Restrictions

The response rate varied by political party between 64 % for the Green League and 92 % for the Left Alliance. By municipality, the response rate varied from 43 percent to 100 percent. There was no difference in the response rate between men and women.

The variable identifying municipality has been removed from the data. The data do not contain responses to open-ended questions 28 and 29.

Weighting

There are no weight variables in the data.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Pikkala, Sari (Åbo Akademi University): Survey of Departing Local Councillors 1997 [dataset]. Version 1.0 (2004-03-18). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD1189

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

Related Publications

Suomen demokratiaindikaattorit (2006). Toim. Sami Borg. Helsinki: Oikeusministeriö. Oikeusministeriön julkaisu 2006:1.

Pikkala, Sari (1998). Eikö kunnallinen demokratia ansaitse valtuutetun luottamusta? Tutkimus valtuustojen henkilövaihtuvuudesta. Åbo: Åbo Akademis tryckeri. Meddelanden från Ekonomisk-statsvetenskaplika fakulteten vid Åbo Akademi; A:486.

Pikkala, Sari (2007). Ei enää ehdokkaaksi: tutkimus valtuustoluopujista ja luopumisen taustoista 1996-2004. KuntaSuomi 2004 -tutkimuksia 57; Acta 192. Helsinki: Suomen kuntaliitto; [Turku]: Åbo Akademi.

Pikkala, Sari (2006). Kuntademokratia indikaattoreiden valossa. Teoksessa: Suomen demokratiaindikaattorit (toim. Sami Borg), 231 - 261. Helsinki: Oikeusministeriö. Oikeusministeriön julkaisu 2006:1.