Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Portfolio Saliency and Ministerial Turnover. Dynamics in Scandinavian Post-War Cabinets

Hansen, Martin Ejnar ; Klemmensen, Robert LU ; Binzer Hobolt, Sara and Bäck, Hanna LU orcid (2013) In Scandinavian Political Studies 36(3). p.227-248
Abstract
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... (More)
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. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Scandinavian Political Studies
volume
36
issue
3
pages
227 - 248
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • wos:000322157200002
  • scopus:84880963417
ISSN
1467-9477
DOI
10.1111/1467-9477.12004
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2b7f3a88-a487-43da-9fe2-22f6c8521cea (old id 4354822)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:22:00
date last changed
2024-01-06 14:54:08
@article{2b7f3a88-a487-43da-9fe2-22f6c8521cea,
  abstract     = {{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<br/><br>
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.}},
  author       = {{Hansen, Martin Ejnar and Klemmensen, Robert and Binzer Hobolt, Sara and Bäck, Hanna}},
  issn         = {{1467-9477}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{227--248}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Political Studies}},
  title        = {{Portfolio Saliency and Ministerial Turnover. Dynamics in Scandinavian Post-War Cabinets}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-9477.12004}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/1467-9477.12004}},
  volume       = {{36}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}