Local Politicians in Denmark, 1981

The survey forms part of the project 'Statslig styring, lokalsamfund og kommunalpolitik' (State Control, Local Communities and Local Politics), which is an interdisciplinary project dealing with Danish local government and approaching this subject from various angles. An attempt is made at mapping out and systematizing the development of state control, at uncovering the most important determinants in municipal priority ordering and at assessing the relative 'power' of these determinants. Furthermore, the choice of the municipalities as regards budgeting method is examined and is compared with municipal priority ordering; the influence of the framework agreements concerning reductions in the growth of municipal expenditure on the actual use of resources is analysed; and the influence of various organizations, of trade and of the political parties on local politics is examined and analysed. #This survey deals with local politicians and contains two questionnaires. One questionnaire was sent to central local politicians (chairmen of local committees and members of local finance committees) in 40 selected municipalities, and another questionnaire, which is an abbreviated version of the first questionnaire, was sent to all local politicians (excl. central politicians) in 6 municipalities. #The questions common to the two questionnaires deal with such issues as: #1) The economy and political priority ordering of the municipality. #2) The respondent's party group and party organization. #3) The employment policy and the trade policy of the municipality. #4) The respondent's background and local council work. #5) The relations of the municipality to the State and to the Danish National Union of Municipalities (Kommunernes Landsforening). #6) The respondent's assessment of the future