
Hanna Bäck
Professor

Portfolio Saliency and Ministerial Turnover. Dynamics in Scandinavian Post-War Cabinets
Författare
Summary, in English
Why do certain ministers remain in their post for years while others have their time in office cut short? Drawing on the broader literature on portfolio allocation, this article argues that the saliency of individual portfolios shapes ministerial turnover. The main argument is that ministerial dismissals are less likely to occur the higher the saliency attributed to the ministerial portfolio since ministers appointed to important posts are more likely to have been through
extensive screening before appointment. Importantly, it is also posited in the article that the effect of portfolio salience is conditioned by government approval ratings: when government ratings are on the decline, prime ministers are less likely to reshuffle or fire important ministers than when approval ratings are improving. To test these claims, Cox proportional hazards models are applied to a new dataset on ministerial turnover in Scandinavia during the postwar period. The results strongly support the proposition that portfolio saliency matters for ministerial survival, and that this effect is moderated by government popularity.
extensive screening before appointment. Importantly, it is also posited in the article that the effect of portfolio salience is conditioned by government approval ratings: when government ratings are on the decline, prime ministers are less likely to reshuffle or fire important ministers than when approval ratings are improving. To test these claims, Cox proportional hazards models are applied to a new dataset on ministerial turnover in Scandinavia during the postwar period. The results strongly support the proposition that portfolio saliency matters for ministerial survival, and that this effect is moderated by government popularity.
Avdelning/ar
- Statsvetenskapliga institutionen
Publiceringsår
2013
Språk
Engelska
Sidor
227-248
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
Scandinavian Political Studies
Volym
36
Issue
3
Dokumenttyp
Artikel i tidskrift
Förlag
Wiley-Blackwell
Ämne
- Political Science
Aktiv
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISSN: 1467-9477