‘One country, three systems’: The recruitment of administrative elites in Portugal, 1999–2009

What is the position of the Portuguese administrative elites in terms of professional autonomy and politicization recruitment patterns? In Portugal there prevails a pattern of professional autonomy at central government; however, this pattern has certain clientelist traits at the local administrative level. The Portuguese case also reveals a new kind of politicization in public administration agencies – in line with what happens in other Western democracies. Portugal has a hybrid administrative elite recruitment pattern, containing elements of professional autonomy at the central government, elements of political control at the agencies level and even clientelist elements at the state local branches.