Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T07:26:38.442Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Length of Ministerial Tenure in the United Kingdom, 1945–97

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 March 2007

SAMUEL BERLINSKI ,
TORUN DEWAN  and
KEITH DOWDING
SAMUEL BERLINSKI
Affiliation:
Department of Economics, University College London and Institute for Fiscal Studies.
TORUN DEWAN
Affiliation:
Department of Government, London School of Economics and Political Science.
KEITH DOWDING
Affiliation:
Department of Government, London School of Economics and Political Science.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

We analyse the determinants of ministerial hazard rates in Britain from 1945 to 1997. We focus on three sets of attributes (i) personal characteristics of the minister; (ii) political characteristics of the minister; and (iii) characteristics pertaining to the government in which the minister serves. We find that educational background increases ministers' capacity to survive, that female ministers have lower hazard rates and older ministers have higher hazard rates. Experienced ministers have higher hazard rates than newly appointed ministers. Ministerial rank increases a minister's capacity to survive, with full cabinet members having the lowest hazard rates in our sample.We use different strategies to control for the characteristics of the government the minister serves in. Our results are robust to any of these controls.

Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Political Science , Volume 37 , Issue 2 , April 2007 , pp. 245 - 262
Copyright
2007 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)