Methods of Appointment to Public Office. A Political Economy Analysis #1680042 Ulster University - Belfast Campus in United Kingdom

Occupants of public offices, the head of state, the head of government, legislators, judges, military personnel, civil servants, jurors, central bankers, and so on are appointed to serve the public. Some of the most often used methods of selection to public office are (1) hereditary rule; (2) election; (3) sortition (appointment by lot); (4) command of the holder of a higher-tier office; and (5) meritocratic rule by some type of test.

But public office holders may also be motivated by (often contradictory) personal objectives like income, job security, leisure, career advancement, influence on policy, and prestige. Since public officials have a degree of discretionary power, they may pursue their interests and the expense of the public. Therefore, citizens may be uncertain whether they will benefit from the actions of the appointed government officials. Citizens and officials are then seen as engaging in a game whose rules, the method of appointment, affect the outcome.

The purpose of this research is to analyse how different methods of appointment affect the incentives of the public post-holders to pursue policies and conduct that maximise the utilities of the citizens. The research may compare institutions and may apply the methodology of game theory.