Cabinet Instability and the Accumulation of Experience: The French Fourth and Fifth Republics in Comparative Perspective

Drawing on arguments about politics during the French Fourth Republic, the concept of cabinet instability is reconsidered. Rather than studying cabinet duration, the article examines the accumulation of experience by individual cabinet ministers. Two variables are measured in nineteen parliamentary...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of political science 2004-01, Vol.34 (1), p.27-48
Main Authors: HUBER, JOHN D., MARTINEZ-GALLARDO, CECILIA
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cabinet
Cabinets
Comparative Analysis
Comparative politics
Datasets
Democracy
Evaluation
Financial portfolios
France
Government
Government cabinets
History
Ministers
Minority governments
Parliament
Parliamentary system
Parliaments
Political parties
Political research
Political science
Political Systems
Politicians
Politics
Prime ministers
Republics
Research Article
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Summary:Drawing on arguments about politics during the French Fourth Republic, the concept of cabinet instability is reconsidered. Rather than studying cabinet duration, the article examines the accumulation of experience by individual cabinet ministers. Two variables are measured in nineteen parliamentary democracies: portfolio experience the experience of cabinet ministers in the specific portfolios that they hold) and political experience (the experience of cabinet ministers in any significant portfolio). The results cast doubt on existing claims about cabinet government in the Fourth and Fifth Republics. They also uncover substantial cabinet turnover in majoritarian systems, suggesting that existing claims about stability in such systems may be overstated.
ISSN:0007-1234
1469-2112
DOI:10.1017/S0007123403000334