Data
Datasets
Norwegian Executive Triangle 1884-2026
This section provides data on the top civil servants in Norwegian ministries and on the political executive they serve: governments, ministers, state secretaries and political advisors since 1884. Each dataset can be downloaded as an R data file (RDS) or as a comma-separated file (CSV). Variables, sources and the procedure for linking people, ministries and governments across the datasets are documented in the codebook. Datasets were last updated in September 2026. You can also explore the data in an interactive dashboard.
| Dataset | Unit of Analysis | Period | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| TCS_NOR | Top civil servants in Norwegian ministries: Permanent Secretaries (departementsråder), Assistant Permanent Secretaries (assisterende departementsråder) and Directors General (ekspedisjonssjefer). 959 individuals, one row per civil servant per year. | 1884–2025 | RDS · CSV |
| Governments_NOR | Norwegian governments. 79 cabinets, one row per cabinet (a new cabinet is counted when the Prime Minister changes, when parties join or leave, and after elections). | 1884–2026 | RDS · CSV |
| Ministers_NOR | Norwegian cabinet ministers. 573 individuals, one row per ministerial post. | 1884–2026 | RDS · CSV |
| POLADV_NOR | State secretaries (statssekretærer) and political advisors (politiske rådgivere). 1,364 individuals, one row per appointment. | 1945–2026 | RDS · CSV |
If you use any of these datasets, please cite:
Forum, B. M. (2026). Bureaucratic turnover under new governments: The moderating effect of bureaucratic and political layering. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 36(4), 429–446. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/muag016
Replication files
- Forum, B. M. (2025). Replication data for: Bureaucratic turnover under new governments: The moderating effect of bureaucratic and political layering, https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/IUXUPR