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The Political Dynamics of Portfolio Design in European Democracies

Sieberer, Ulrich ; Meyer, Thomas M. ; Bäck, Hanna LU orcid ; Ceron, Andrea ; Falcó-Gimeno, Albert ; Guinaudeau, Isabelle ; Hansen, Martin Ejnar ; Kolltveit, Kristoffer ; Louwerse, Tom and Müller, Wolfgang C. , et al. (2021) In British Journal of Political Science 51(2). p.772-787
Abstract

The design of government portfolios - that is, the distribution of competencies among government ministries and office holders - has been largely ignored in the study of executive and coalition politics. This article argues that portfolio design is a substantively and theoretically relevant phenomenon that has major implications for the study of institutional design and coalition politics. The authors use comparative data on portfolio design reforms in nine Western European countries since the 1970s to demonstrate how the design of government portfolios changes over time. Specifically, they show that portfolios are changed frequently (on average about once a year) and that such shifts are more likely after changes in the prime... (More)

The design of government portfolios - that is, the distribution of competencies among government ministries and office holders - has been largely ignored in the study of executive and coalition politics. This article argues that portfolio design is a substantively and theoretically relevant phenomenon that has major implications for the study of institutional design and coalition politics. The authors use comparative data on portfolio design reforms in nine Western European countries since the 1970s to demonstrate how the design of government portfolios changes over time. Specifically, they show that portfolios are changed frequently (on average about once a year) and that such shifts are more likely after changes in the prime ministership or the party composition of the government. These findings suggest a political logic behind these reforms based on the preferences and power of political parties and politicians. They have major implications for the study of institutional design and coalition politics.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
multiparty government, portfolio allocation, portfolio design, Western Europe
in
British Journal of Political Science
volume
51
issue
2
pages
772 - 787
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85072202510
ISSN
0007-1234
DOI
10.1017/S0007123419000346
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
138c5661-1e13-4b1a-9add-72a1abcfe24d
date added to LUP
2019-09-30 12:55:11
date last changed
2024-02-15 20:28:30
@article{138c5661-1e13-4b1a-9add-72a1abcfe24d,
  abstract     = {{<p>The design of government portfolios - that is, the distribution of competencies among government ministries and office holders - has been largely ignored in the study of executive and coalition politics. This article argues that portfolio design is a substantively and theoretically relevant phenomenon that has major implications for the study of institutional design and coalition politics. The authors use comparative data on portfolio design reforms in nine Western European countries since the 1970s to demonstrate how the design of government portfolios changes over time. Specifically, they show that portfolios are changed frequently (on average about once a year) and that such shifts are more likely after changes in the prime ministership or the party composition of the government. These findings suggest a political logic behind these reforms based on the preferences and power of political parties and politicians. They have major implications for the study of institutional design and coalition politics.</p>}},
  author       = {{Sieberer, Ulrich and Meyer, Thomas M. and Bäck, Hanna and Ceron, Andrea and Falcó-Gimeno, Albert and Guinaudeau, Isabelle and Hansen, Martin Ejnar and Kolltveit, Kristoffer and Louwerse, Tom and Müller, Wolfgang C. and Persson, Thomas}},
  issn         = {{0007-1234}},
  keywords     = {{multiparty government; portfolio allocation; portfolio design; Western Europe}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{772--787}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{British Journal of Political Science}},
  title        = {{The Political Dynamics of Portfolio Design in European Democracies}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0007123419000346}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S0007123419000346}},
  volume       = {{51}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}