Does the cradle of power exist? Sequence analysis of top bureaucrats' career trajectories

Abstract

Abstract Top bureaucrats are the nexus between politics and administration. Besides being the chief operating officer of the ministry, they are technical experts and political advisors to the minister. This makes them central actors in bureaucratic studies. Despite their powerful position, few have studied their path to power. Utilizing sequence analysis, I analyze the career trajectories of permanent secretaries, providing a rich measure of career paths. Denmark is used as a case of a European parliamentary system, and a novel dataset has been collected containing career information on permanent secretaries from 1925 to 2020. The analysis reveals five ideal‐typical career paths and illustrates how career trajectories have become more diverse over time. Fewer top bureaucrats are rising through the ranks within a single ministry; instead, there has been an increase in inter‐ministerial shifts and in experience providing political craft. Finally, the position is becoming a steppingstone rather than the final position.

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