svigrúm

Svigrúm is an Icelandic term meaning the room to maneuver or leeway available to a person or organization in a given situation. It describes the scope for choice among possible actions within the constraints of resources, rules, and external factors. In public administration and political science, svigrúm is used to analyze how much flexibility a government or agency has to pursue goals without violating constraints such as the budget, legal framework, or international obligations.

The size of svigrúm is defined by multiple factors: budgetary margins and reserves, institutional rules, market conditions, and public support. A larger svigrúm indicates greater capacity to respond to shocks or to adopt new policies with limited friction, whereas a small svigrúm implies strict constraints and higher opportunity costs for alternative actions.

In practice, analysts discuss svigrúm in contexts such as fiscal policy, crisis management, and strategic planning. For example, a government with fiscal room in its budget might use svigrúm to implement stimulus measures or invest in long-term reforms. In corporate settings, svigrúm can refer to the leeway available to reallocate resources, adjust personnel, or modify product lines.

Critics note that svigrúm is often value-laden, with different actors disagreeing on what constitutes acceptable flexibility or desirable outcomes. The concept is conceptually similar to the English "room to maneuver" or "policy space."

See also: policy space, leeway, margin (economics).