The prime minister's chief of staff
Comparing profiles and trends in Westminster democracies, 1990–2021
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12216919 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Heath Pickering (0000-0001-5277-2211, KU Leuven Public Governance Institute Leuven Belgium, corresponding author), Tom Bellens (0000-0001-5942-5300, KU Leuven Public Governance Institute Leuven Belgium), Marleen Brans (0000-0003-0468-2929, KU Leuven Public Governance Institute Leuven Belgium) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1231-1249 |
| Publication date | 2023-11-15 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Governance (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0952-1895 • E-ISSN: 1468-0491 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/gove.12834 |
| OpenAlex | W4388691708 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 38 |
Chiefs of Staff to heads of government hold a prominent position at the apex of the political executive. However, our knowledge of the personal and professional backgrounds of these unelected actors is surprisingly patchy. Not only is this an empirical gap, but it is also problematic as interactions between actors within political executives shape political decisions and ministerial operations. For this study, we present the most systematic dataset mapping the profiles of 56 chiefs of staff to prime ministers in four Westminster family countries from 1990 to 2021: Australia, Britain, Canada, and New Zealand. Their profiles are examined in relation to four concepts: (1) descriptive representation; (2) career de‐separation; (3) institutional (in)stability; and (4) the revolving door. The demographic results illustrate how prime ministers' offices attract individuals with certain characteristics more than others. In order to bolster these results, more research on the chief of staff role is needed to demonstrate how prime ministers exert power and use these staff to strengthen their capacity to govern
Cabinet (room · Economics · Government (linguistics · Order (exchange · Political science · Politics · Position (finance · Power (physics · Prime (order theory · Prime minister · Representation (politics · Sociology · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Political and Economic history of UK and US · Political Systems and Governance · Public Administration
Revolving Door Lobbying
The Oxford Handbook of Political Executives
Post-Public Employment
Life after Whitehall
White House Evolution and Institutionalization
Turnover, Loyalty and Competence in the West Wing
White House Staff Turnover in Year One of the Trump Administration
L'État à l'épreuve du libéralisme
Britain's Administrative Elite
Career De‐Separation in Westminster Democracies
Who Does What Work in a Ministerial Office
The First Time is (Mostly) the Charm
Ministerial Advisers as Power Resources
Leaving the House
Heir Apparent Prime Ministers in Westminster Democracies
Revisiting Politicization
Sex, gender, and promotion in executive office
Research Note
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |