Population-Dependence of Cabinet Sizes

Cabinet size may affect efficiency. We find that population (\P) accounts for 40\% of the variation in cabinet sizes (C}) in 189 countries. Individual country values vary up to -50 \% from the average pattern, C=40/(1 39P^-1/4, which is simple logistic in terms of the logarithm of P. This differs from the format of the cube root law of assembly sizes, which has no ceiling. It remains to be elucidated on logical grounds why the constants should have the values 40 and 1/4. Cabinets tend to be larger than average in Afro-MENA and Caribbean countries and smaller in Latin America. No other factor has been found to affect cabinet size. In particular, corruption doesn’t, once the geographic region is taken into account.

Keywords: cabinet size, assembly size, impact of population on politics

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

Taagepera, Rein and Kaiser, Brian and Cervas, Jonathan, Population-Dependence of Cabinet Sizes (July 31, 2018). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3223745 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3223745