Beyond Political Control and Bureaucratic Protection: Public Appointments for the Formation of Programmatic Groups and Representative Bureaucracy

Public appointments shape the top‐level bureaucracy by serving as a gateway for professionals with different profiles, chosen based on different criteria. In general, the literature has been more interested in analyzing appointments based on merit or sponsorship, based on verification of loyalty to the government or technical competence. However, appointments can also serve as an opportunity to expand the representation of stakeholders or form groups of programmatic actors, depending on the values and objectives of those appointed. Thus, the study of the profile and trajectory of public leaders is a relevant field in research on public appointments but is still little explored. This paper contributes to research in this field by seeking to explain how public appointments shape the profile of the top‐level public bureaucracy, based on the analysis of the appointments of directors of the largest independent Brazilian agency. Using the literature on representative bureaucracy and the Programmatic Action Framework, the results show that biography is important in defining whether those appointed will pursue a cause or a political program, indicating that looking at the trajectory of those who will be appointed may be more important than their political, party, or interest group affiliation.