The European Representative Democracy data archive consists of cabinet-level data for 29 European democracies in Europe between 1945-2010.
The first release of the ERD data set was launched in March 2012. The second release (2.0) in January 2013 contained systematically improved estimates for v007e (code for date out), v700e (total cabinet volatility), v701e (average cabinet volatility) and v708e (cabinet electoral performance). The third release (3.0) was released in February 2014 and mainly corrected errors in the earlier release. The fourth (4.0) and final release in 2020, correct additional errors and adds new variables on cabinet termination.
Up to 1 January 1999, the Comparative Parliamentary Democracy (CPD) data archive is the main source of the data for the 17 Western European (WE) countries. However, a few of these variables have been recorded or re-calculated in a different way in the ERD database. This means that although we include previous variable names in this code book, there is not a 100% correspondence between all data in this European Representative Democracy (ERD) dataset and the Comparative Parliamentary Democracy (CPD) dataset upon which it is mainly built. When variables that also existed in CPD have been completely revised, we indicate that in this code book.
We have collected all data from the period after 1999 ourselves, by using multiple sources (see the documentation below). The same is true for all Central- and Eastern European countries that were not part of the Comparative Parliamentary Democracy data archive.
Please note that most of this data is collected by us, without the help from country experts, and may thus contain some errors. For more reliable data please see the Party Government in Europe Database.
Release 4 (final release), December 2020
This final release of the data set new data on cabinet termination, corrections, as well as some clarifications in the code book. In the “Corrections and additions”, the changes are listed both in terms of what variables they concern and the type of changes made compared to the previous release, as well as which cabinets the changes concern.
Note on Proper Acknowledgement
Publications using version 4 should acknowledge in writing that the information comes from:
Andersson, Staffan; Bergman, Torbjörn, Ersson, Svante, and Hellström Johan (2020). “The European Representative Democracy Data Archive, Final release”. Main sponsor: Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (In2007-0149:1-E). [www.erdda.org]
Documentation
ERD Codebook Decemeber 2020 (.pdf)
ERD Party Codebook 2020 (.pdf)
Corrections and additions, overview (.pdf)
Corrections and additions, detailed (.pdf)
Notes on coding principles (.pdf)
Data files
ERD Data set 2020 (.dta, Stata-dataset)
Please note non-applicable (N.A.) is coded as 88888, and missing data is coded as blank or 99999.
Release 3, February 2014
Included are cabinets that have formed before or on December 31 2010. Altogether, a total of 640 cabinets–coalitions, single party and non-partisan–are included. Release 3.0 includes a few corrections, a new variable, majority coalition, v326e_add, and more data on the end dates of the cabinets up through December 2013.
Note on Proper Acknowledgement
Publications using version 3 should acknowledge in writing that the information comes from:
Andersson, Staffan; Bergman, Torbjörn & Ersson, Svante (2014). “The European Representative Democracy Data Archive, Release 3”. Main sponsor: Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (In2007-0149:1-E). [www.erdda.org]
Documentation
ERD Codebook Feb 12 2014 (.pdf)
Notes on coding principles (.pdf)
Corrections and additions (.xls)
Data files
ERD Data set 12-2-2014 (.dta; Stata 9)
ERD Data set 12-2-2014 (.dta; Stata 9; Non applicable, 88888, is coded as missing)
ERD Data set 12-2-2014 (.dta; Stata 12)
ERD Data set 12-2-2014 (.dta; Stata 12; Non applicable, 88888, is coded as missing)