What are the determinants of turnover among political appointees in the Brazilian federal government? This article shows that a change in minister does not necessarily entail change among political appointees, although this is true for higher-level appointees with policymaking tasks. Contrary to initial expectations, we find that agencies affected by corruption scandals have lower turnover than other agencies. We argue that it is necessary to consider the policy expertise of appointees, measured as longevity in civil service, in order to understand bureaucratic turnover. Further research on political appointees and their relationships with political parties and ministers in Brazil will likely shedlight on important, yet neglected, aspects of the political system.
bureaucracy; policy expertise; political appointees; turnover
