Shifts of Administrative Power: Competence Trumps Aristocracy in Swedish State-Building

Journal article, 2024

This study explores the transition from patrimonial structures to the inclusion of ordinary citizens in public office, focusing on Swedish state-building. Analyzing newly collected data on 1,351 civil servants, the research reveals how the demand for competence led to the adoption of meritocratic recruitment starting in the seventeenth century. This shift contributed to Sweden’s elimination of systemic corruption by the nineteenth century. Key factors in this transition include the increasing complexity of public administration tasks, which drove education policies; the ennoblement of individuals to broaden the pool of qualified personnel; and tensions within the expanded noble class. Conceptualized as “administrative democratization,” this process initially enhanced competence at lower ranks and progressively empowered ordinary citizens in senior positions, underscoring education’s role in developing effective public administration.