Why Are Important Portfolios Important? A Framework for Analysis

Not all portfolios are equally important. But despite recognizing that the relative value of portfolios is central to government formation, the criteria that determine why certain portfolios are more important than others is rarely made explicit and justified. The lack of transparency about the criteria that determines the value of portfolios is particularly important where party institutionalization is low, where single-party governments are the norm and where non-partisan groups participate in government formation. In this article we develop a framework that proposes measuring portfolio salience based on four dimensions: the opportunities the portfolio offers its occupant to influence relevant public policies, to influence the governments political agenda, to distribute discretional resources, and to intervene in the functioning of other portfolios.