Building and un-building ministries: An approach to factors leading to Presidential cabinet designs and their impact on Argentina’s Government
Abstract
The number of ministries in Argentina´s national gov ernment has progressively increased since the end of the 1990s. However, in the last decade, both expansions and contractions have occurred more frequently, even within the same administration. The drastic and unprecedented reduction of portfolios by Javier Milei upon assuming the presidency, along with modifications to his cabinet in the early months of his term, signifies a notable trend shift. Yet, the size of the cabinet is merely a reflection of broader trends in cabinet design. The reorganization of ministe rial cabinets -through the creation, elimination, merger, or splitting of portfolios- represents significant events with important implications for political dynamics and pub lic policy management. This paper aims to analyze the changes in cabinet design within the Executive Branch since 1983 and to identify the factors driving these changes. Although reforms in cabinet organization are often framed as strategies to enhance efficiency or reduce spending, the analysis reveals that political dynamics and presidential preferences play a central role.
