Local Political Decision-Making: A Case of Rationality or Appropriateness?

Figures & data

Table 1. Decision-making predictions for behavioural assumptions of self-interest and social norms in relation to the party and the trustee principles

		Decision-making predictions
		Self-interest (RCI)	Social norms (SI)
Party pressure	High	Follow party principle	Follow party principle
	Low	Follow trustee principle	Follow party principle

Table 2. Frequencies of respondents’ answers about decision-making concerning organisational change in the municipal administration and municipal tax levels/activity fees

	Totally agree with A	Partly agree with A	Partly agree with B	Totally agree with B	n	Missing	Total
An organisational change in the municipal administration
Frequency	880	3,780	3,090	826	8,576	1,149	9,725
Per cent of respondents	10.3	44.1	36.0	9.6
Cumulative per cent	10.3	54.4	90.4	100.0
Tax levels/activity fees
Frequency	1,629	3,714	2,496	684	8,523	1,202	9,725
Per cent of respondents	19.1	43.6	29.3	8.0
Cumulative per cent	19.1	62.7	92.0	100.0

Table 3. Frequencies of respondents’ answers, split by party affiliation, about decision-making in the policy issues of organisational change in the municipal administration and tax levels/activity fees

	Decision-making on organisational change							Decision-making on tax levels/activity fees
	Totally agree with A	Partly agree with A	Partly agree with B	Totally agree with B	n	Missing	Total	Totally agree with A	Partly agree with A	Partly agree with B	Totally agree with B	n	Missing	Total
Left party
Frequency	35	190	190	61	476	52	528	87	185	150	54	476	52	528
Per cent of respondents	7.4	39.9	39.9	12.8				18.3	38.9	31.5	11.3
Cumulative per cent	7.4	47.3	87.2	100.0				18.3	57.1	88.7	100.0
Social democratic party
Frequency	440	1,647	890	182	3,159	396	3,555	776	1,506	714	148	3,144	411	3,555
Per cent of respondents	13.9	52.1	28.2	5.8				24.7	47.9	22.7	4.7
Cumulative per cent	13.9	66.1	94.2	100.0				24.7	72.6	95.3	100.0
Green party
Frequency	34	153	227	58	472	58	530	69	186	181	32	468	62	530
Per cent of respondents	7.2	32.4	48.1	12.3				14.7	39.7	38.7	6.8
Cumulative per cent	7.2	39.6	87.7	100.0				14.7	54.5	93.2	100.0
Centre party
Frequency	43	325	446	130	944	103	1,047	101	377	361	99	938	109	1,047
Per cent of respondents	4.6	34.4	47.2	13.8				10.8	40.2	38.5	10.6
Cumulative per cent	4.6	39.0	86.2	100.0				10.8	51.0	89.4	100.0
Christian democratic party
Frequency	21	160	154	41	376	65	441	33	170	129	36	368	73	441
Per cent of respondents	5.6	42.2	41.0	10.9				9.0	46.2	35.1	9.8
Cumulative per cent	5.6	48.1	89.1	100.0				9.0	55.2	90.2	100.0
Liberal party
Frequency	37	217	291	84	629	89	718	87	259	216	61	623	95	718
Per cent of respondents	5.9	34.5	46.3	13.4				14.0	41.6	34.7	9.8
Cumulative per cent	5.9	40.4	86.6	100.0				14.0	55.5	90.2	100.0
Conservative party
Frequency	203	877	675	180	1,935	271	2,206	382	818	547	174	1,921	285	2,206
Per cent of respondents	10.5	45.3	34.9	9.3				19.9	42.6	28.5	9.1
Cumulative per cent	10.5	55.8	90.7	100.0				19.9	62.5	90.9	100.0
Swedish democrats
Frequency	42	105	95	24	266	57	323	44	103	89	31	267	56	323
Per cent of respondents	15.8	39.5	35.7	9.0				16.5	38.6	33.3	11.6
Cumulative per cent	15.8	55.3	91.0	100.0				16.5	55.1	88.4	100.0

Table 4. Results from Wilcoxon tests, split by party affiliation, when making decisions concerning organisational change in the municipal administration and tax levels/activity fees

	Decisions on organisational change – decisions on tax levels/activity fees
	Left party	Social democratic Party	Green party	Centre party	Christian democratic Party	Liberal party	Conservative party	Swedish democrats
Mean of negative ranks	88.39	551.39	84.15	163.58	63.35	99.77	336.67	40.50
Mean of positive ranks	95.65	561.37	90.15	172.25	59.79	114.65	348.06	38.33
Sum of negative ranks	4,861.50	176,997.50	2861	14,395	2,597.50	4,689	72,383.50	1701
Sum of positive ranks	12,529.50	446,288.50	12,892	43,235	4,783.50	20,064	164,632.50	1380
z	−5.619^a	−13.585^a	−7.991^a	−8.710^a	−3.088^a	−8.663^a	−9.537^a	−0.877^b
p	>0.001	>0.001	>0.001	>0.001	>0.01	>0.001	>0.001	0.38

Notes: ^aBased on negative ranks.

^bBased on positive ranks.