Junior ministers of the Portuguese democracy, 1976-2011

Abstract

This article analyzes the sociopolitical profile and the government career of the Junior Ministers who held office in Portugal between 1976 and 2011, paying special attention to the difference between Junior Ministers with and without political experience. Contrary to what is indicated in the literature, our results show that most of them are politically inexperienced and have a short and occasional government career. However, important variances emerge when we take into consideration the political profile, what confirms the importance of the distinction between politicians and experts.