Case-Actor Role System (SagAktørRolle)¶

The SagAktørRolle system defines the semantic relationships between cases (Sag) and actors (Aktør) in the Danish Parliament. This sophisticated role system captures the many different ways individuals, committees, and organizations participate in the parliamentary process.

Overview¶

The SagAktør junction table links cases to actors, with the specific nature of the relationship defined by the SagAktørRolle entity. This creates a rich semantic network that precisely describes how different actors participate in parliamentary cases.

Key Statistics: - 23 distinct role types covering all forms of parliamentary participation - Millions of relationships across 70+ years of parliamentary history - Multi-language semantics with Danish terms and English explanations

Complete SagAktørRolle Reference¶

1. Taler (Speaker)¶

Danish: Taler
English: Speaker
Context: Actor who speaks during parliamentary debates on the case
Usage: Links speakers to the cases they addressed in parliamentary sessions

2. Ordfører for forslagsstillerne (Spokesperson for Proposers)¶

Danish: Ordfører for forslagsstillerne
English: Spokesperson for proposers
Context: Designated spokesperson representing all proposers of a bill or proposal
Usage: Key role in legislative process - the main voice for supporters

3. Tidligere henvist til (Previously Referred To)¶

Danish: Tidligere henvist til
English: Previously referred to
Context: Case was previously referred to this actor/committee for consideration
Usage: Tracks historical referral patterns and committee jurisdiction changes

4. Af (By/From)¶

Danish: Af
English: By/From
Context: Generic attribution - case originated from or was initiated by this actor
Usage: Broad attribution role for various forms of case initiation

5. Medspørger (Co-questioner)¶

Danish: Medspørger
English: Co-questioner
Context: Additional questioner in parliamentary questions (beyond primary questioner)
Usage: Tracks collaborative questioning in § 20-spørgsmål and similar formats

6. Ministerområde (Ministry Area)¶

Danish: Ministerområde
English: Ministry area
Context: Case falls under the jurisdiction of this ministry/minister
Usage: Links cases to responsible government departments

7. Privatist (Private Individual)¶

Danish: Privatist
English: Private individual
Context: Private citizen or organization involved in the case
Usage: Enables citizen participation tracking in parliamentary processes

8. Kopi sendt til (Copy Sent To)¶

Danish: Kopi sendt til
English: Copy sent to
Context: Actor receives copies of case-related communications
Usage: Tracks information distribution in parliamentary correspondence

9. Relevant for (Relevant For)¶

Danish: Relevant for
English: Relevant for
Context: Case is considered relevant to this actor's interests or responsibilities
Usage: Broad relevance marking for interested parties

10. Spørger (Questioner)¶

Danish: Spørger
English: Questioner
Context: Primary questioner in parliamentary questions
Usage: Essential role in § 20-spørgsmål and other inquiry formats

11. Henvist til (Referred To)¶

Danish: Henvist til
English: Referred to
Context: Case is currently referred to this actor/committee for consideration
Usage: Active referral relationships - tracks current committee responsibilities

12. Udsteder (Issuer)¶

Danish: Udsteder
English: Issuer
Context: Actor who issues or publishes case-related materials
Usage: Attribution for official publications and statements

13. Optaget af (Recorded By)¶

Danish: Optaget af
English: Recorded by
Context: Actor responsible for recording or documenting case proceedings
Usage: Administrative role in parliamentary documentation

14. Minister¶

Danish: Minister
English: Minister
Context: Government minister responsible for the case area
Usage: Critical role linking cases to government responsibility and accountability

15. Forespørger (Inquirer)¶

Danish: Forespørger
English: Inquirer
Context: Actor making formal inquiries about the case
Usage: Used in forespørgsel (inquiry) case types

16. Forslagsstiller (priv.) (Private Proposer)¶

Danish: Forslagsstiller (priv.)
English: Private proposer
Context: Private actor proposing legislation or parliamentary action
Usage: Enables citizen initiative tracking in the parliamentary system

17. Til (To)¶

Danish: Til
English: To
Context: Case is directed to or intended for this actor
Usage: Target or recipient relationship in case communications

18. Afgivet af (Submitted By)¶

Danish: Afgivet af
English: Submitted by
Context: Actor who formally submits case materials or responses
Usage: Attribution for formal submissions and responses

19. Forslagsstiller (reg.) (Regular Proposer)¶

Danish: Forslagsstiller (reg.)
English: Regular proposer
Context: Official parliamentary proposer (typically MPs or committees)
Usage: Standard legislative proposer role - most common for lovforslag

20. Orlovssøgende (Leave Applicant)¶

Danish: Orlovssøgende
English: Leave applicant
Context: MP applying for leave of absence
Usage: Specialized role for leave application cases

21. Stedfortræder (Deputy)¶

Danish: Stedfortræder
English: Deputy
Context: Deputy or substitute representative
Usage: Tracks deputy assignments and temporary representations

22. Statsrevisor inhabil (State Auditor Disqualified)¶

Danish: Statsrevisor inhabil
English: State auditor disqualified
Context: State auditor who must recuse themselves from a case due to conflicts
Usage: Specialized role for audit independence requirements

23. Besvaret af (Answered By)¶

Danish: Besvaret af
English: Answered by
Context: Actor who provides official answers to parliamentary questions
Usage: Links questions to their official responses, typically ministers

Role Categories¶

Legislative Roles¶

Forslagsstiller (reg.) - Regular proposer
Forslagsstiller (priv.) - Private proposer
Ordfører for forslagsstillerne - Spokesperson for proposers
Taler - Speaker

Administrative Roles¶

Minister - Government minister
Ministerområde - Ministry area
Udsteder - Issuer
Optaget af - Recorded by
Stedfortræder - Deputy

Query and Response Roles¶

Spørger - Questioner
Medspørger - Co-questioner
Forespørger - Inquirer
Besvaret af - Answered by

Process Roles¶

Henvist til - Referred to
Tidligere henvist til - Previously referred to
Afgivet af - Submitted by
Relevant for - Relevant for

Communication Roles¶

Til - To
Af - By/From
Kopi sendt til - Copy sent to

Special Cases¶

Privatist - Private individual
Orlovssøgende - Leave applicant
Statsrevisor inhabil - State auditor disqualified

Usage Patterns¶

Most Common Roles¶

Minister - Appears in most government-related cases
Forslagsstiller (reg.) - Standard role for parliamentary proposals
Spørger - Common in § 20-spørgsmål question format
Henvist til - Frequent for committee referrals
Besvaret af - Common in question-answer cycles

Legislative Process Flow¶

graph LR
    A[Forslagsstiller] --> B[Case Created]
    B --> C[Henvist til Committee]
    C --> D[Ordfører appointed]
    D --> E[Taler in debate]
    E --> F[Minister response]

Question Process Flow¶

graph LR
    A[Spørger asks question] --> B[Medspørger may join]
    B --> C[Henvist til Ministry]
    C --> D[Minister assigned]
    D --> E[Besvaret af Minister]

Query Examples¶

Find All Actors for a Specific Case¶

# Get all actor relationships for case ID 102903
curl "https://oda.ft.dk/api/SagAktør?%24filter=sagid%20eq%20102903&%24expand=Aktør,SagAktørRolle"

Find Cases by Role Type¶

# Find all cases where someone is a "Minister"
curl "https://oda.ft.dk/api/SagAktør?%24filter=rolleid%20eq%2014&%24expand=Sag,Aktør"

# Find all cases with private proposers
curl "https://oda.ft.dk/api/SagAktør?%24filter=rolleid%20eq%2016&%24expand=Sag,Aktør"

Find Actor Participation Patterns¶

# Find all roles for a specific actor
curl "https://oda.ft.dk/api/SagAktør?%24filter=aktørid%20eq%2012345&%24expand=SagAktørRolle,Sag"

API Implementation Notes¶

Role ID Mapping¶

The rolleid field in SagAktør maps to the id field in SagAktørRolle:

{
  "id": 123456,
  "sagid": 102903,
  "aktørid": 7890,
  "rolleid": 14,  // Maps to Minister role
  "opdateringsdato": "2025-09-09T15:30:00"
}

Expansion Patterns¶

Single Level:

curl "https://oda.ft.dk/api/SagAktør?%24expand=SagAktørRolle"

Two Level:

curl "https://oda.ft.dk/api/SagAktør?%24expand=Aktør,SagAktørRolle"

Performance Considerations¶

SagAktør is one of the largest junction tables
Use specific filters to limit result sets
Role-based queries are well-indexed
Consider pagination for large result sets

Historical Context¶

Role Evolution¶

The 23 role types have evolved to capture the complexity of Danish parliamentary procedure:

Traditional roles: Taler, Minister, Forslagsstiller
Modern additions: Privatist (citizen participation)
Administrative roles: Statsrevisor inhabil (audit independence)
Process roles: Henvist til/Tidligere henvist til (referral tracking)

Data Quality¶

Complete historical coverage: Roles applied retroactively to historical data
Consistent usage: Role semantics maintained across different parliamentary periods
Regular updates: New relationships created in real-time as parliamentary work progresses

Conclusion¶

The SagAktørRolle system represents one of the most sophisticated role classification systems in any parliamentary API. Its 23 distinct roles capture the full spectrum of parliamentary participation, from formal legislative roles to administrative functions to citizen engagement.

This granular role system enables precise analysis of: - Democratic participation patterns - Government accountability relationships - Committee jurisdiction and workflow - Inter-party collaboration patterns - Citizen engagement in parliamentary processes

The semantic richness of these roles makes the Danish Parliament API invaluable for researchers studying democratic processes and civic engagement patterns.