Authors

• Piipponen, Sirkka-Liisa (Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities)

Keywords

councillors, elected officials, local government, local government elections, public administration

Abstract

The dataset contains survey and register data regarding the members of municipal councils and municipal boards in 2009. The dataset includes data collected both from municipal secretaries and the election data system of the Ministry of Justice.

The survey data chart the following information on the members of municipal councils and municipal boards: whether the elected official had been a candidate in municipal elections in 2008 and what their political party had been, position in the council or the board, previous experience of municipal positions of responsibility, and employer sector. Further, data on council chairpersons included whether they were chairpersons for the first time or had previous experience.

Register data comprise the following variables: whether the elected official had been an MP or a member of the European Parliament and whether he/she had been selected in the municipal council in the municipal elections, number of votes received in the elections, comparative index assigned in the elections, electoral district, and number of years in the council.

Background variables included, among others, membership of a municipal council or a municipal board, name of the municipality, gender, year of birth, mother tongue, and nationality.