Objectives: Top civil servants have an important position within governments. They need to be competent in their jobs, and balance between neutrality and responsiveness. While theoretical arguments...Show moreObjectives: Top civil servants have an important position within governments. They need to be competent in their jobs, and balance between neutrality and responsiveness. While theoretical arguments about the need for certain merit-based competencies (managerial skills, policy expertise and political craft) are substantial, empirical data about the actual possession of these competencies is lacking. Furthermore, knowledge about the role of political ideology on appointment criteria, and the extent of the politicization of the civil service, is limited. The merit-based competencies and political criteria that are desired of top civil servants are, therefore, the focus of this study. This thesis aims to gain a better understanding of the extent of politicization in the appointments of top civil servants, as well as to describe the merit-based competencies that are desired from top civil servants. Theoretical arguments will be applied to the case of the Dutch secretaries-general, the highest-ranking civil servants in the Netherlands. The following question is central in this thesis. “Which competencies did Dutch secretaries-general possess in the period 1994-2020, and how did party-political considerations play a role in the appointment of these secretaries-general?” Methods: This thesis uses quantitative methods to answer the research question. Through a descriptive statistical analysis, the competencies of the secretaries-general are identified. In addition, through logistic regression analysis, hypotheses concerning the role of ideology in appointments are tested. Results: In terms of competencies, almost all secretaries-general (94%) have managerial skills, followed by professional policy expertise (65%) and, to a lesser extent, political craft (25%). However, based on this research, there is no evidence that party-political considerations play a substantial role in the appointments of secretaries-general. Merit-based competencies are central, and the political influence of ministers in the appointment process seems to be small at best.Show less
