Kristoffer Kolltveit

• Allern, Elin Haugsgjerd; Braut-Hegghammer, Målfrid; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Rasch, Bjørn Erik (2025). Introduction: Norway, A Stable Democracy in Flux. In Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Allern, Elin Haugsgjerd; Braut-Hegghammer, Målfrid & Rasch, Bjørn Erik (Ed.), Oxford Handbook of Norwegian Politics. Oxford University Press. ISSN 9780198888581. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Trondal, Jarle (2025). The Norwegian Central Government: A Robust Yet Adaptive Apparatus. In Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Allern, Elin Haugsgjerd; Braut-Hegghammer, Målfrid & Rasch, Bjørn Erik (Ed.), Oxford Handbook of Norwegian Politics. Oxford University Press. ISSN 9780198888581. p. 120–136. doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198888581.013.0007. Full text in Research Archive
• Karlsen, Rune; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Solheim, Øyvind Bugge (2025). Balancing Acts: The Communicative Roles of Cabinet Ministers on Social Media. Media and Communication. 13. doi: 10.17645/mac.10416. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Despite an upsurge in social media studies, little is known about how cabinet ministers balance their multiple professional roles—as ministry heads, cabinet members, and party politicians—on social media platforms. In this article, we first develop an analytical framework, grounded in the principal–agent theory and earlier research on political communication, that differentiates between cabinet ministers’ different communicative roles as well as different communicative purposes on social media. Second, we add to the growing literature on government communication and social media by applying this framework to analyze Norwegian cabinet ministers’ social media communication. The data is based on a manual content analysis of 1,062 Facebook posts and an expansion of this data using machine learning to cover all the Facebook communication of all ministers from the Solberg cabinet (2013–2021). Based on almost 20,000 posts, the results indicate that social media caters to ministers’ needs both as party politicians and as heads of ministries, as Norwegian cabinet ministers use social media in two key ways: to inform as ministry heads and to brand themselves as party politicians. Further, we find that private self-personalization increases audience engagement. The results suggest that social media accentuates the party-political dimension of the cabinet minister’s role, thereby indicating potential consequences for government communication, cabinet unity, and decision-making that warrant further exploration.

• Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Karlsen, Rune (2025). Radical or aligned? Assessing issue congruence between youth wing elites, parliamentary candidates and voters in Norway. Party Politics. ISSN 1354-0688. doi: 10.1177/13540688241312372. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Party youth wings are generally said to be more ideologically extreme than their mother parties. Youth wing elites, however, can have career reasons to align with mother party elites and voters. Although there is a growing body of literature focusing on party youth wings and an established literature on issue congruence, few studies have compared the opinions of youth wing elites with those of their mother party elites and the electorate. We ask, in what ways and to what extent do youth wing elites align ideologically with party elites and the electorate? We draw on surveys to youth wing members in leading positions, voters and parliamentary candidates, and explore congruences on the ideological left–right scale as well as on the climate, immigration and centre–periphery issues. Youth wing elites are indeed more extreme than voters and party elites, but there are clear differences across issues and parties, suggesting that all youth wings have the potential to be clear correctives to their mother parties.

• Svartefoss, Silje Marie; Jungblut, Jens Patrick Wilhelm; Aksnes, Dag W.; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Leeuwen, Thed van (2024). Explaining research performance: investigating the importance of motivation. SN Social Sciences. 4(6), p. 1–24. doi: 10.1007/s43545-024-00895-9. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this article, we study the motivation and performance of researchers. More specifically, we investigate what motivates researchers across different research fields and countries and how this motivation influences their research performance. The basis for our study is a large-N survey of economists, cardiologists, and physicists in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the UK. The analysis shows that researchers are primarily motivated by scientific curiosity and practical application and less so by career considerations. There are limited differences across fields and countries, suggesting that the mix of motivational aspects has a common academic core less influenced by disciplinary standards or different national environments. Linking motivational factors to research performance, through bibliometric data on publication productivity and citation impact, our data show that those driven by practical application aspects of motivation have a higher probability for high productivity. Being driven by career considerations also increases productivity but only to a certain extent before it starts having a detrimental effect.

• Askim, Jostein; Bach, Tobias & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2024). The professional profile, competence, and responsiveness of senior bureaucrats: a paired survey experiment with citizens and elite respondents. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory (JPART). ISSN 1053-1858. 35(1), p. 87–101. doi: 10.1093/jopart/muae024. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  How do the professional backgrounds of senior bureaucrats affect their competence and political responsiveness? This article fills a gap by examining these questions in a meritocratic context that accommodates nuanced but potentially consequential variations in the recruitment of senior bureaucrats. Using a paired survey experiment with citizens, representatives, and administrators in Norway, the article demonstrates that agency heads are perceived as less competent and—to a lesser extent—more politically responsive if their profile deviates from the meritocratic ideal of the career civil servant with mission-specific expertise. The article also compares perceptions between groups of stakeholders, filling another gap in the literature. Treatment effects go in the same direction across groups, but the results reveal a mismatch between popular and insider perceptions of bureaucracy: whereas citizens are practically indifferent, administrators are deeply concerned about the competence of an agency head who is a former politician rather than a career bureaucrat. Perceptions of substantive expertise are more aligned: all stakeholder groups view agency heads with mission-specific expertise as more competent and less politically responsive than generalists. Overall, the results demonstrate that variations in who is recruited to senior bureaucrat positions may either strengthen or undermine stakeholders’ views on good governance.

• Karlsen, Rune & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2023). Ministerial advisers and the media. In Shaw, Richard (Eds.), Handbook on Ministerial and Political Advisers. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781800886575. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Political leaders increasingly surround themselves with advisers who combine a mix of communicative and media insight with political know-how. Despite a recent surge in scholarly work on ministerial advisers, detailed insights into how ministerial media advisers operate are scarce, and few systematic accounts exist that review the work and importance of ministerial media advisers across different countries. First we discuss - from a mediatisation theory perspective - developments in politics and media that have made media advisers necessary for political leaders. We then consider conceptual differences based on such advisers’ relations to actors in the media and wider political-administrative system. Third, we take stock of existing knowledge about ministerial media advisers and distinguish empirical varieties across countries and traditions based on the limited empirical evidence. Finally, we consider avenues for future work on ministerial media advisers.

• Askim, Jostein; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Smith, Eivind (2023). Ministerial advisers in the Scandinavian tradition. In Shaw, Richard (Eds.), Handbook on Ministerial and Political Advisers. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781800886575. p. 251–265. doi: 10.4337/9781800886582.00027. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Scandinavian countries share numerous characteristics: constitutional monarchy, parliamentary government, proportional representation electoral systems, and frequent coalition governments. When it comes to ministerial advisers, however, the differences are more striking than the similarities. Denmark has a small and functionally weak ministerial adviser cohort, while Norway and, especially, Sweden have many and strong ministerial advisers. This chapter argues that Scandinavian ministerial advisers - their numbers, location, roles, and competencies - can be seen as defensive mechanisms used to help senior politicians and bureaucrats avoid having to change much over time. The chapter compares the Scandinavian countries with an emphasis on inter-departmental coordination and coordination between politicians and bureaucrats. Empirically, the chapter rests on a study of constitutions, statutes, internal government regulations, and 21 elite interviews.

• Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Karlsen, Rune & Askim, Jostein (2023). Survey research and the scholarship on ministerial advisers. In Shaw, Richard (Eds.), Handbook on Ministerial and Political Advisers. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781800886575. p. 110–122. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Survey methodology has been central for investigating the behaviour, roles, and motivations of ministerial advisers. This chapter looks closely at how surveys have been used in research on ministerial advisers and how it can be used to move this scholarship forward. The first part of the chapter is structured according to the process of survey research: defining the population, developing the questionnaire, and collecting and analysing data. At each step, we relate the study of ministerial advisers to the general challenges associated with doing survey research. In the second part of the chapter, we review the insights that have been gained through the use of survey methods in ministerial adviser research. The chapter concludes by suggesting avenues for further survey research on ministerial advisers.

• Bjerkaas, Sunniva & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2023). Statsministerens kontor: Kommunikasjonens høyborg i et moderne medielandskap? Norsk statsvitenskapelig tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. 39(2), p. 56–73. doi: 10.18261/nst.39.2.1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Denne artikkelen omhandler regjeringens strategiske kommunikasjonsarbeid, nærmere bestemt Statsministerens kontors (SMK) rolle i dette arbeidet, og hvordan rollen påvirkes av teknologisk utvikling og politisk kontekst. Artikkelen baserer seg på intervjuer med 10 elitekilder som alle har vært tett på prosessene som studeres. Vi finner at SMK har styrket sin kommunikasjonskapasitet over tid, og i viktige, politiske saker er sterkt involvert i regjeringens strategiske kommunikasjonsarbeid. Fagdepartementene har ellers høy grad av selvstendighet i håndteringen av mer ordinære saker på sine fagfelt. SMKs rolle er spesielt viktig i koalisjonsregjeringer hvor kontoret er sentralt i å holde laget samlet. Artikkelen gir unik innsikt om en viktig institusjon som er lite studert i norsk statsvitenskap, og bidrar til den internasjonale diskusjonen om sentralisering ved å vise at strategisk kommunikasjonsarbeid er dynamisk og involvering varierer avhengig av sak.

• Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2023). Policy, office and votes: An experimental investigation of the dynamic aspect of party goals. Scandinavian Political Studies. ISSN 0080-6757. 46(3), p. 121–131. doi: 10.1111/1467-9477.12250. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Political parties face hard choices when balancing desires to influence public policy, to gain executive office and to win votes. The existing literature examining such party preferences has traditionally focused on rather static aspects of the parties, such as size, policy positions and the level of intraparty democracy. This article argues that party actors' sophisticated estimations of whether to enter into coalition can be affected by fluctuating public opinion, thereby having a more dynamic aspect. Drawing on a survey experiment on youth politicians in Norway, we test how perceived standing in the polls affects how politicians weigh up policy versus office and votes versus office. The experimental effect of perceived standings was investigated in addition to the respondents' positions within the party, as well as their parties' former governing history, political orientation and size. Results show that, in the presence of the treatment condition (party is perceived to do well in the polls), the preference for policy over office is lessened. We find no experimental effect for vote versus office. These results advance our understanding of the dynamic aspects of party goals and coalition formation.

• Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Karlsen, Rune & Figenschou, Tine Ustad (2022). Partiske medier? «Fiendtlig medie»-persepsjon hos borgere, politikere og journalister. Norsk statsvitenskapelig tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. 38(4), p. 214–229. doi: 10.18261/nst.38.4.6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  De siste årene har det blitt stadig vanligere å beskylde mediene for å komme med falske nyheter, spre misinformasjon og ha en politisk agenda. Internasjonalt er det en lang rekke studier som kaster lys over «fiendtlig medie»-persepsjon (FMP), altså tendensen til at folk oppfatter mediedekningen som partisk. Mesteparten av den eksisterende forskningen har fokusert på vanlige folks oppfatninger. I denne artikkelen er ett av hovedmålene derfor å undersøke om tendensen til «fiendtlig medie»-persepsjon også finnes i ulike elitegrupper i Norge. Når det gjelder årsaker til FMP har den eksisterende litteraturen særlig fokusert sammenhengen mellom politiske ideologi og FMP. Et annet hovedmål med artikkelen er å undersøke hvordan også holdninger til medienes grunnleggende samfunnsrolle rolle henger sammen med inntrykk av at nyhetsdekningen er partisk. Basert på tre paneler undersøker denne studien både omfanget av og forklaringer på FMP blant borgere, journalister og politikere. Selv om FMP ikke er et utbredt fenomen i Norge, finner vi små, men signifikante forskjeller på tvers av de studerte samfunnsgruppene. Videre finner vi at oppfatninger om mediene som sensasjonspreget og konfliktorientert, har en klar sammenheng med høy grad av FMP, mens oppfatninger om at mediene har et viktig samfunnsoppdrag henger sammen med lave grader av FMP.

• Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Aardal, Bernt & Karlsen, Rune (2022). Norske ungdomspolitikere: hvem er de, hva gjør de og hvor vil de? Tidsskrift for samfunnsforskning (TfS). ISSN 0040-716X. 63(4), p. 290–305. doi: 10.18261/tfs.63.4.4. Full text in Research Archive
• Figenschou, Tine Ustad; Karlsen, Rune & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2022). Between spin doctor and information provider: Conceptualizing communication professionals in government ministries. Public Administration. ISSN 0033-3298. doi: 10.1111/padm.12869. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Communication professionals are increasingly found within government ministries. Based on classic work on bureaucracy and recent literature on mediatization and personalization, this article develops two ideal types: the government information provider and government spin doctor. These ideals are constituted by six dimensions: recruitment criteria, values, loyalties, reputational concerns, interactions, and tasks. A study of nonpartisan communication professionals in Norwegian ministries is used to illustrate the empirical relevance of the ideal types. The analysis shows that for loyalties and reputational concerns, Norwegian communication professionals resemble the government information provider. Regarding interactions and tasks, they resemble the government spin doctor. For recruitment criteria and values, the picture is mixed. The empirical application thereby illustrates a fruitful aspect of the framework as certain configurations will bring forth inbuilt tension in communication professionals' role. The framework allows a fine-grained approach to extend ongoing debates of appropriate and inappropriate practices of communication professionals in ministries.

• Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2022). Gender and Ambitions for Elected and Appointed Political Positions: Insights from Norway. European Journal of Politics and Gender. ISSN 2515-1088. doi: 10.1332/251510821X16314632442720. Full text in Research Archive
• Shaw, Richard & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2022). Core Executive Studies in the Wild, Core Executives in a Comparative Perspective: Governing in Complex Times. Palgrave Macmillan. ISSN 9783030945022. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-94503-9_2. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Shaw, Richard (2022). In the Beginning: The Story of a Concept, Core Executives in a Comparative Perspective: Governing in Complex Times. Palgrave Macmillan. ISSN 9783030945022. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Askim, Jostein (2022). The Norwegian Core Executive: Baronial Courts and Inner Circles? Core Executives in a Comparative Perspective: Governing in Complex Times. Palgrave Macmillan. ISSN 9783030945022. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-94503-9_11. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Shaw, Richard (2022). Continuity and Change: Explaining Developments and Looking to the Future, Core Executives in a Comparative Perspective: Governing in Complex Times. Palgrave Macmillan. ISSN 9783030945022. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-94503-9_12. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2021). Communication Advisers in Public Bureaucracies: Inhabitants of the Zone between Politics and Administration. In Pinheiro, Romulo & Trondal, Jarle (Ed.), Organizing and Governing Governmental Institutions. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 9788245035322. Full text in Research Archive
• Askim, Jostein; Bach, Tobias & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2021). Politisering av embetsverket: Introduksjon til et temanummer. Norsk statsvitenskapelig tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. doi: 10.18261/issn.1504-2936-2021-04-01. Full text in Research Archive
• Askim, Jostein; Karlsen, Rune & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2021). Populists in Government: Normal or Exceptional? Government and Opposition. ISSN 0017-257X. 1(21). doi: 10.1017/gov.2021.30. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  How is government affected by including populists in a governing coalition? We investigate if populist political parties behave “normally” when they attain power, or if they govern differently from mainstream political parties. Empirically, we use survey data from 282 ministerial advisers from three cabinets in Norway. Our conclusion is that populists govern normally on some governance dimensions and exceptionally on others. Populists in office had ample professional experience, adhered to collegial decision making, and thought the bureaucracy delivered quality and was politically responsive, on a par with the non-populists. However, populists differed from non-populist politicians in their contact patterns and their communicative concerns. That populists in this context belong to a party with a long history of parliamentary representation (Norway’s Progress Party) suggests elements of exceptionalism are things one should expect to find in practically all populist parties that attain power.

• Figenschou, Tine Ustad; Fredriksson, Magnus; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Pallas, Josef (2021). Public Bureaucracies. In Skogerbø, Eli; Ihlen, Øyvind; Kristensen, Nete Nørgaard & Nord, Lars W. (Ed.), Power, communication, and politics in the Nordic countries. Nordicom. ISSN 9789188855282. p. 325–345. doi: 10.48335/9789188855299-16. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Public bureaucracies have mostly been invisible in research on political communication, but more recently, there has been an increasing interest in their communicative efforts. In this chapter, we review the literature and synthesise the scholarship on Nordic public bureaucracies in relation to political communication. Three research areas are put to the fore: 1) Mediatisation: how and to what extent bureaucracies prioritise the media and what consequences it has for activities, routines, and resource allocations across organisational contexts; 2) Reputation management: why and how bureaucracies make use of communication to build, maintain, and protect their reputation; and 3) Crisis communication: public actors’ abilities to provide information and support to citizens and communities before, during, and after crises. Although highly interconnected in practice, these strands of literature have largely been three separate academic discussions. We therefore suggest that a first step to consolidate research on communication and public bureaucracies would be to combine the knowledge research has gained in terms of media management, reputation management, and crisis communication. Such an effort would provide a much broader, but also detailed, knowledge on the motives, organising, content, and consequences of public bureaucracies and their communicative efforts.

• Askim, Jostein; Karlsen, Rune & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2021). Departementspolitikere i et politiseringsperspektiv: En studie av statssekretærer og politiske rådgivere i regjeringene Bondevik 2, Stoltenberg 2 og Solberg. Norsk statsvitenskapelig tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. 37(4), p. 191–209. doi: 10.18261/issn.1504-2936-2021-04-03. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Over hele den vestlige verden har det de siste tiårene skjedd en vekst i antallet politisk ansatte i departementene (departementspolitikere), noe som ofte ses på som uttrykk for politisering og et ønske om økt kontroll over byråkratiet. For å forstå omfanget av politisering er det imidlertid viktig å ikke bare fokusere på selve antallet departementspolitikere, men også på deres partipolitiske bakgrunn og på deres rolle i regjeringsapparatet og departementet, herunder deres forhold til embetsverket. Artikkelen presenterer resultater fra en omfattende studie av norske departementspolitikeres bakgrunn, funksjoner og oppgaver. Data er hentet fra spørreundersøkelser til statssekretærer og politiske rådgivere fra regjeringene Bondevik 2 (2001-2005), Stoltenberg 2 (2005-2013) og Solberg (2013-2021). Artikkelen bidrar med empirisk kunnskap om en lite studert aktørgruppe i det politiske systemet og en diskusjon av funnene opp mot det mangefasetterte politiseringsbegrepet. Artikkelen konkluderer med at departementspolitikerne politiserer departementet – ikke ved å være en portvokter embetsverket må passere for å nå frem til statsråden, men ved å ha politisk og faglig kompetanse som gjør det mulig å gå inn i saker i fagavdelingene.

• Figenschou, Tine Ustad & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2020). Kommunikasjonsrådgiverne i norske departementer: En «ny» type byråkrater i skjæringsfeltet mellom politikk og administrasjon? Norsk statsvitenskapelig tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. p. 102–119. doi: 10.18261/issn.1504-2936-2020-02-04. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I offentlige byråkratier over hele den vestlige verden har det de siste årene blitt ansatte flere kommunikasjonsrådgivere, ofte med bakgrunn fra journalistikken. Disse aktørene er ansatt som byråkrater, men jobber i enkelte land aktivt med å forsvare ministeren og for å få saker om ministeren eller departementet i mediene. Til tross for økt oppmerksomhet internasjonalt har kommunikasjonsrådgiverne i departementene ikke blitt gjenstand for noe særlig systematisk, vitenskapelig oppmerksomhet i Norge. I denne artikkelen undersøkes kommunikasjonsrådgivernes oppgaver og kompetanse, og deres samhandling med fagavdelinger, politisk ledelse og journalister. Artikkelen bygger på to hovedkilder: en elektronisk spørreundersøkelse sendt ut til alle kommunikasjonsansatte i norske departementer 2015-2016, samt intervjuer med journalister og politisk ledelse, kommunikasjonsansatte og toppbyråkrater i ett departement. Den empiriske analysen viser at kommunikasjonsrådgiverne i Norge bidrar aktivt for å selge inn saker til utvalgte medier, og at de innimellom går ganske langt inn i det politiske. Enten overfor journalister ved å antyde hva som er saker verdt å forfølge, eller ved å legge inn angrep på politiske motstandere. Kommunikasjonsrådgivernes fungerer således i skjæringsfeltet mellom politikk og administrasjon, og bidrar til medialiseringen av offentlig sektor.

• Karlsen, Rune; Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Schillemans, Thomas & Thorbjørnsrud, Kjersti (2020). Media and Bureaucracy: Investigating Media Awareness Amongst Civil Servants. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration (SPJA). ISSN 2001-7405. 24(3), p. 53–72. doi: 10.58235/sjpa.v24i3.8602. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Scholars claim that civil servants are increasingly having to engage in media management and be aware of how events are presented in the press, with this media awareness being said to threaten civil servants’ traditional bureaucratic values. In this article, we argue that media awareness is unevenly spread in public bureaucracies, and rather is contingent on individual and organizational characteristics. More specifically, we present the hypotheses that media awareness depends on the amount of media related work, the amount of media attention on the organization in which they work, as well as the civil servants’ fundamental views on the role of the media in society. To test the hypotheses, the article utilizes a large-N survey of civil servants in Norwegian ministries and agencies. The results show that the vast majority of civil servants care about how issues appear in the press. Further on, we find that civil servants’ media awareness coexists with traditional bureaucratic values, offering some relief to scholars who fear the disruptive effects of the media in public administration. As the hypotheses suggest, we find that this media awareness is linked to civil servants’ actual media-related work. However, the analysis shows that civil servants working in organizations with a lot of media attention are, in fact, are less aware of the media.

• Askim, Jostein; Karlsen, Rune & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2020). Public office as a stepping stone? Investigating the careers of ministerial advisors. Political Studies Review. ISSN 1478-9299. p. 1–19. doi: 10.1177/1478929920906991. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Ministerial advisors (MAs) have become an essential aspect of executive branches worldwide, thus making the MA office a potential route for young politicians aspiring to an expanding political class. The article studies which professions MAs migrate to following their ministerial careers, how MAs’ post-ministerial careers compare to their pre-ministerial careers, and if the variance in careers can be explained by the resources that MAs obtain while in government. Empirically, the article draws on a cohort of 139 MAs in Norwegian governments between 2001 and 2009; it covers positions in the political sphere and the public, private and voluntary occupational sectors over a period from each MA’s youth to the end of 2017. The bibliographic data is combined with surveys and elite interviews. The results show that more than expanding the political class as a recruitment ground for future MPs and ministers, MA appointments serve as stepping-stones to careers outside of politics. Most MAs experience shifts between occupational sectors and upward to higher positions. However, MAs’ attractiveness in the labour market is surprisingly unaffected by what they actually did in office; rather, it rests on resources such as insider knowledge and networks. Keywords: Ministerial Advisors, Careers, Political Class, Revolving door, Executives

• Sieberer, Ulrich; Meyer, Thomas M.; Bäck, Hanna; Ceron, Andrea; Falcó-Gimeno, Albert & Guinaudeau, Isabelle [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2019). The political dynamics of portfolio design in European democracies. British Journal of Political Science. ISSN 0007-1234. doi: 10.1017/S0007123419000346. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The design of government portfolios – that is, the distribution of competencies among government ministries and office holders – has been largely ignored in the study of executive and coalition politics. This article argues that portfolio design is a substantively and theoretically relevant phenomenon that has major implications for the study of institutional design and coalition politics. The authors use comparative data on portfolio design reforms in nine Western European countries since the 1970s to demonstrate how the design of government portfolios changes over time. Specifically, they show that portfolios are changed frequently (on average about once a year) and that such shifts are more likely after changes in the prime ministership or the party composition of the government. These findings suggest a political logic behind these reforms based on the preferences and power of political parties and politicians. They have major implications for the study of institutional design and coalition politics.

• Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Karlsen, Rune & Askim, Jostein (2019). Understanding reputational concerns within government agencies. Policy & Politics. ISSN 0305-5736. 47(3), p. 473–493. doi: 10.1332/030557319X15579230420144. Full text in Research Archive
• Schillemans, Thomas; Karlsen, Rune & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2019). Why do civil servants experience media-stress differently and what can be done about it? Policy & Politics. ISSN 0305-5736. 47(4), p. 599–620. doi: 10.1332/030557319X15613701092525. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Pressure from the media affects the daily work of bureaucrats and induces ‘media stress’, with potentially critical effects on the quality of public policy. This article analyses how bureaucrats’ daily work has been adapted to the media (‘mediatised’) and which groups of bureaucrats experience the most media-stress. Reporting the results of an original and large-scale survey (N=4,655) this article demonstrates that levels of media-stress vary among different groups of civil servants. In turn, its analysis suggests that media-stress is more pronounced in the Netherlands than in Norway, is more concentrated in the lower rungs of administrative hierarchies and is related to media pressures on organisations. By untangling the underlying logic of mediatisation and the dynamics of media-stress, this article makes an important contribution to extant scholarship and also provides a series of practical recommendations.

• Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2019). On the Minister’s Tight Leash? Media Appearance and Autonomy in Public Agencies. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration (SPJA). ISSN 2001-7405. 23(1), p. 41–58. doi: 10.58235/sjpa.v23i1.8680. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Public agencies have varying degrees of self-determination. In the existing literature this autonomy is often explained by sector and task. Although agencies are increasingly subject to media scrutiny and public attention, the literature on the autonomy of agencies has not focused much on the impact of the media. Visible agencies might be more able to resist the control of superior bodies. However, reputational threats and poor media management might tempt ministers to increase political control and decrease the autonomy of agencies, or in other words, tighten the leash. Drawing on a 2016 survey of civil servants in Norwegian agencies, this article investigates four aspects of agency autonomy, and relates this to media appearance and media management in the organisation. The results show that agencies frequently in the written press report lower levels of autonomy, while agencies with competent media management have higher levels of autonomy. This suggests that media appearance and media management should be seen as important factors when aiming to explain agency autonomy.

• Figenschou, Tine Ustad; Karlsen, Rune; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Schillemans, Thomas (2019). Mounting media pressure: Push and pull forces influencing agendas, resource allocation and decision-making in public bureaucracies. European Journal of Communication. ISSN 0267-3231. 34(4), p. 377–394. doi: 10.1177/0267323119861513. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Thorsen, Ingvild Våset (2018). De politiske rådgiverne: unge broilere eller betrodde (fag)medarbeidere? Norsk statsvitenskapelig tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. 34(1), p. 21–39. doi: 10.18261/issn.1504-2936-2018-01-02. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this article we study political advisors in Norwegian ministries. Although political advisors have existed in Norway since the post-war period, there is little systematic knowledge about their actual work. This article draws on register data, survey and interviews to investigate the importance of political advisors. The conclusion is that the political advisors are far from just ‘political broilers’, young party actors with only minor tasks. Rather, political advisors in Norway have high education and broad experience, and they are important actors in the ministry, some even with extensive delegated decision-making authority. The lesson from this article is thus that political advisors should have a natural place in political science research when decision-making processes in Norway are to be described and explained.

• Askim, Jostein; Karlsen, Rune & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2018). The spy who loved me? Cross-partisans in the core executive. Public Administration. ISSN 0033-3298. 96(2), p. 243–258. doi: 10.1111/padm.12392. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Political appointees from different parties from that of their minister—cross-partisan appointees (CPAs)—are increasingly found in the core executive. Ministerial advisory scholarship has overlooked CPAs, while the coalition governance literature sees them as ‘spies’ and ‘coalition watchdogs’. This article argues theoretically and demonstrates empirically that this conceptualization is overly limited. The empirical basis is a large-N survey of political appointees from two Norwegian coalitions, and a qualitative follow-up survey of CPAs. The results show that CPAs monitor on behalf of their party, provide cross-partisan advice to their minister and perform many of the same tasks as regular partisan appointees, including exercising independent decision-making power. In this research context, most CPAs act as coalition liaison officers who, rather than create tension and negative dynamics, contribute to building trust between coalition partners.

• Askim, Jostein; Karlsen, Rune & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2017). Political appointees in executive government: Exploring and explaining roles using a large-N survey in Norway. Public Administration. ISSN 0033-3298. 95(2), p. 342–358. doi: 10.1111/padm.12272. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Political appointees in executive government have received increased scholarly attention in recent years. However, few studies have covered non-Westminster systems, and apart from classifications that systemize variation in assignments, theorizing about appointees has been limited. Using large-N survey data, the article finds three distinct roles among political appointees in Norway: ‘stand in’, ‘media adviser’ and ‘political coordinator’. The article then combines insights from research on political appointees with insights from core executive studies (CES) to explain why political appointees perform one role or another. The empirical results support the notion that roles of appointees within the core executive depend on where they sit, supporting the asymmetric power model within CES. The results also show that appointees' roles within the executive depend on their personal experience, supporting the notion of a resource exchange between ministers and their appointees in the mould of the resource-dependency perspective within CES.

• Hustedt, Thurid; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Salomonsen, Heidi Houlberg (2017). Ministerial advisors in executive government: Out from the dark and into the limelight. Public Administration. ISSN 0033-3298. 95(2), p. 299–311. doi: 10.1111/padm.12329. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Ministers increasingly rely on advisers for support and advice. In many countries, these political aides are labelled differently. Generally, they serve as close confidants to their political masters and operate in the ‘shadowland’ between politics and bureaucracy. Scholarship has dragged the ministerial advisers out of the dark and described their background and functions. Still, the field of scholarship has a Westminster bias, is characterized by single case studies, and remains under-theorized. The lack of comparative focus and theoretical underpinnings can be explained by the complex nature of ministerial advisers. This introductory article suggests a definition for ministerial advisers and reviews the extant literature on these important actors. The main argument is that the extent and relevance of ministerial advisers in executive government merits integration into mainstream public administration and political science theory and research.

• Figenschou, Tine Ustad; Karlsen, Rune; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Thorbjørnsrud, Kjersti (2017). Serving the Media Ministers: A Mixed Methods Study on the Personalization of Ministerial Communication. The International Journal of Press/Politics. ISSN 1940-1612. 22(4), p. 411–430. doi: 10.1177/1940161217720772. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The personalization of politics has received much attention in both the political science and political communication literature, but the focus has almost entirely been on party leaders and prime ministers. This study investigates the personalization of ministerial communication in Norway, a type of decentralized personalization. It combines a survey of communication workers; in-depth interviews with politicians, communication workers, political reporters, and top-level civil servants; and ethnographic observation inside a ministry. The article goes beyond media-centered perspectives and identifies several potential drivers and barriers to personalization processes. Based on our mixed methods approach, we find that ministerial communication in Norway is strongly centered on the minister in both reactive media management and the proactive promotion of the minister and new policies. This decentralized personalization is driven by both demands from the media and the strategic adaptation by political and administrative actors within ministries. Based on the rich empirically grounded insights, the article discusses how the interplay between the logic of the contemporary commercial news media, political ambitions, internal administrative ambitions, and changes in executive government shapes the personalization of ministerial communication, and illuminates how these multiple drivers of personalization are mutually reinforcing.

• Askim, Jostein; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Røe, Per Gunnar (2017). Veier til bedre politikk og styring. In Askim, Jostein; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Røe, Per Gunnar (Ed.), En smartere stat. Veier til bedre politikk og styring. Universitetsforlaget. ISSN 9788215027074. p. 9–30. Full text in Research Archive
• Solberg, Espen & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2017). Norsk forskningspolitikk: fragmentert styring i et sentralisert system. In Askim, Jostein; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Røe, Per Gunnar (Ed.), En smartere stat. Veier til bedre politikk og styring. Universitetsforlaget. ISSN 9788215027074. p. 159–176. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Askim, Jostein (2017). Decentralization as Substantial and Institutional Policy Change: Scrutinizing the Regionalization of Science Policy in Norway. Science and Public Policy. ISSN 0302-3427. 44(4), p. 546–555. doi: 10.1093/scipol/scw083. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2016). Spenninger i det politisk-administrative systemet: erfaringer fra Norge. Politica - Tidsskrift for politisk videnskab. ISSN 0105-0710. 48(4), p. 481–496. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2015). Strengthening of the executive centre: looking beyond NPM as the explanation for change. International Review of Administrative Sciences. ISSN 0020-8523. 81(1), p. 18–36. doi: 10.1177/0020852314541566. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2014). Concentration of power in cabinets: Exploring the importance of the party political context. Acta Politica. ISSN 0001-6810. 49(3), p. 266–285. doi: 10.1057/ap.2013.22. Full text in Research Archive
• Askim, Jostein; Karlsen, Rune & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2014). Statssekretærer i norsk politikk: De oversette maktutøverne. Norsk statsvitenskapelig tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. 30(4), p. 233–255. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Statssekretærene er trolig den gruppen med mest politisk makt i Norge som vi vet minst om. I denne artikkelen forsøker vi å bøte på denne manglende kunnskapen. Med utgangspunkt i relevant teori og internasjonal forskning drøfter vi først hvorfor antallet politisk ansatte i departementene har økt, og hvilke roller statssekretærer kan tenkes å ha i regjeringer. Deretter studerer vi tre hovedspørsmål empirisk: For det første, har det vært en økning i antall statssekretærer fra 1945 til i dag? For det andre, hva slags sosial og politisk bakgrunn har statssekretærene, og har denne endret seg over tid? For det tredje, hvor omfattende er såkalt partipolitisk skygging, at man som statssekretær fra et annet parti kan gå ministeren nærmere etter i sømmene? For å belyse disse spørsmålene benytter vi i hovedsak tilgjengelige registerdata. Gjennomgangen viser at antallet statssekretærer i departementene har økt betraktelig de siste tiårene, samtidig som det har blitt færre politiske rådgivere. Når det gjelder statssekretærenes bakgrunn synes erfaring fra partiorganisasjonen å ha blitt viktigere over tid. Statssekretærenes rolle har også endret seg. I de studerte koalisjonsregjeringene har det blitt vanligere å ha statssekretærer fra et annet parti; det gjelder ikke lenger bare de viktigste departementene, men ser ut til å ha blitt normen i en rekke departementer. Overordnet kan disse utviklingstrekkene tyde på det er et økende behov for partipolitisk koordinering i norske regjeringer.

• Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2014). Samordning i det norske regjeringsapparatet. In Baldersheim, Harald & Østerud, Øyvind (Ed.), Det norske demokratiet i det 21. århundre. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 9788245016147. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2013). Concentration of Decision-Making Power: Investigating the Role of the Norwegian Cabinet Subcommittee. World Political Science Review. ISSN 2194-6248. 9(1), p. 173–195. doi: 10.1515/wpsr-2013-0008. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2012). Presidentialisation in the Executive Sphere? Evidence from Norwegian Cabinets. Scandinavian Political Studies. ISSN 0080-6757. 35(4), p. 372–392. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9477.2012.00293.x. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2012). Maktkonsentrasjon og politisk kontekst. Om underutvalgets rolle i to norske regjeringer. Norsk statsvitenskapelig tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. p. 24–47. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I flere av våre naboland har man de siste årene sett tendenser til at regjeringslederens stilling har blitt styrket og at regjeringsmøtet har fått mindre betydning som beslutningsarena. Det overordnede forskningsspørsmålet i denne artikkelen er hvorvidt beslutningsmakten også i norske regjeringer har blitt konsentrert, og hvilke faktorer som eventuelt kan bidra til å forklare utviklingstrekkene. Internasjonalisering, medialisering av politikken og økt kompleksitet og fragmentering i samfunnet, er ifølge den såkalte presidensialiserings-litteraturen viktige grunnleggende årsaker til at regjeringsledere i en rekke parlamentariske demokratier har økt sin innflytelse. Denne artikkelen undersøker hvordan også trekk ved regjeringskonstellasjonen kan ha betydning for spørsmålet om maktkonsentrasjon. Artikkelen baserer seg på semi-strukturerte intervjuer med 19 statsråder fra Bondevik II- og Stoltenberg II-regjeringen. Konklusjonen er at regjeringskollegiet har mistet innflytelse. Beslutningsmakten har derimot blitt tydeligere sentrert rundt det såkalte underutvalget som i tillegg til statsministeren også inneholder partilederne og finansministeren. I artikkelen antydes det at forhold som politiske avstander mellom koalisjonspartiene og regjeringens parlamentariske basis har hatt betydning for maktkonsentrasjonen.

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• Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Allern, Elin Haugsgjerd; Braut-Hegghammer, Målfrid & Rasch, Bjørn Erik (2025). The Oxford Handbook of Norwegian Politics. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198888581. doi: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198888581.001.0001. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This handbook provides a comprehensive examination of Norway’s political institutions, electoral politics, public policymaking, and international relations. As the introductory chapter highlights, Norway is a highly consolidated, homogeneous, corporatist, and consensus-orientated democracy having faced rapid economic growth, significant government access to massive oil revenues, deindustrialization, public-sector expansion, increasing cultural pluralism, and economic inequality, as well as growing party system fragmentation and the decline of the once dominant Social Democratic Party. Each chapter offers foundational knowledge about the present Norwegian system while presenting state-of-the-art overviews of key issues and findings drawn from the most relevant research in their respective fields. Additionally, the chapters provide original analyses of more specialized topics or trace historical developments and overarching trends. The handbook is designed primarily for scholars and students specializing in the covered topics, but it is also intended to serve a secondary readership that includes politicians, journalists, and other individuals interested in gaining a deeper understanding of Norwegian politics. The authors, selected for their in-depth knowledge and expertise as well as their proven track record of publishing research in highly ranked international outlets, offer valuable insights into the different aspects of Norwegian politics. Although the primary focus is on research within political science, contributions from disciplines such as public law, history, and education science are also included. This diverse set of authors brings extensive expertise and presents the chapters in an accessible manner, making this handbook an indispensable resource for understanding Norwegian politics.

• Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Allern, Elin Haugsgjerd; Braut-Hegghammer, Målfrid & Rasch, Bjørn Erik (2025). Oxford Handbook of Norwegian Politics. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198888581. 992 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Askim, Jostein; Flo, Yngve; Holmøyvik, Eirik; Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Mangset, Marte & Rasch, Bjørn Erik (2024). Regjeringen: Historien, makten og hverdagen. Fagbokforlaget. ISBN 9788245040296. Full text in Research Archive
• Stigen, Inger Marie; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Winsvold, Marte Slagsvold (2022). Fra valg til velferd. Innføring i stats- og kommunalkunnskap. 2. utgave. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISBN 9788202766535. 283 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Shaw, Richard (2022). Core Executives in a Comparative Perspective: Governing in Complex Times. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9783030945022. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-94503-9. Full text in Research Archive
• Stigen, Inger Marie; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Winsvold, Marte Slagsvold (2018). Fra valg til velferd. Innføring i stats- og kommunalkunnskap. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISBN 9788202529406. 262 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Askim, Jostein; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Røe, Per Gunnar (2017). En smartere stat. Veier til bedre politikk og styring. Universitetsforlaget. ISBN 9788215027074. 203 p. Full text in Research Archive

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• Askim, Jostein; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Rosen, Guri (2025). Innledning til valgspesial 2025. Norsk statsvitenskapelig tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. 41(3), p. 95–95. doi: 10.18261/nst.41.3.1. Full text in Research Archive
• Askim, Jostein; Bach, Tobias & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2025). Helt greit med tidligere politikere i byråkratiske toppstillinger? Stat & Styring. ISSN 0803-0103. doi: https:/statogstyring.no/helt-greit-med-tidligere-politikere-i-byr%C3%A5kratiske-toppstillinger. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Når viktige byråkratstillinger skal besettes, reises av og til spørsmål om hva som er relevant ekspertise og om det er greit med bakgrunn fra politikken. Den kontroversielle utnevnelsen av Frank Bakke Jensen som Fiskeridirektør i 2021 er et eksempel på dette.

• Askim, Jostein; Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Rommetvedt, Hilmar & Valgermo, Jon Bøe (2024). Opposition in Government. Opinion Polls, Electoral Cycles, and the Partisan Distinctiveness Behaviour of Governing Parties. Full text in Research Archive
• Askim, Jostein; Bach, Tobias & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2023). Bureaucratic appointments, competence, and political responsiveness. Full text in Research Archive
• Askim, Jostein; Bach, Tobias & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2023). Bureaucratic appointments and perceptions of competence and political responsiveness: a paired experiment with bureaucrats, politicians, citizens, and journalists. Full text in Research Archive
• Askim, Jostein Rosfjord; Bach, Tobias & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2022). Bureaucratic appointments, competence, and administrative dilemmas: a paired experiment with bureaucrats, politicians, citizens, and journalists. Full text in Research Archive
• Figenschou, Tine Ustad; Fredriksson, Magnus; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Pallas, Josef (2021). Public Bureaucracies. In Skogerbø, Eli; Ihlen, Øyvind; Kristensen, Nete Nørgaard & Nord, Lars W. (Ed.), Power, communication, and politics in the Nordic countries. Nordicom. ISSN 9789188855282. p. 325–345. doi: 10.48335/9789188855299-16. Full text in Research Archive
• Askim, Jostein Rosfjord; Bach, Tobias & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2021). Politisering av embetsverket: Introduksjon til et temanummer. Norsk statsvitenskapelig tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. 37(4), p. 165–170. doi: 10.18261/issn.1504-2936-2021-04-01. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Karlsen, Rune & Figenschou, Tine Ustad (2020). Conceptualizing Communication Professionals in Public Bureaucracies: Ideal Types and Empirical Application. Full text in Research Archive
• Figenschou, Tine Ustad & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2018). Når byråkratiene styres av mediene (kronikk). [Journal]. Aftenposten. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Askim, Jostein & Karlsen, Rune (2018). Understanding Reputational Concerns within Government Agencies: The Importance of Individual Characteristics and Organizational Features. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Figenschou, Tine Ustad & Karlsen, Rune (2018). Communication workers in ministries: Strategic links between politics and administration. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2017). On the minister’s tight leash? Exploring the links between the media, ministers and agency autonomy. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Karlsen, Rune & Figenschou, Tine Ustad (2017). Mounting media pressure: Push and pull forces influencing decision making in public bureaucracies. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2017). Lojalitet, nøytralitet og faglig uavhengighet i sentraladministrasjonen. Full text in Research Archive
• Figenschou, Tine Ustad; Karlsen, Rune; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Thorbjørnsrud, Kjersti (2017). Media influence on bureaucratic decision-making: Evidence from Norway and the Netherlands. Full text in Research Archive
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Askim, Jostein & Rose, Lawrence E (2014). Knowledge, wicked problems and multi-level government: Learning in the shadow of complexity. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The growing political science literature on wicked policy problems and multi-level government typically studies challenges related to coordination and democratic accountability. Without disputing the importance of these phenomena, this paper argues that the wicked issues literature should pay more attention to the learning aspect of policymaking: knowledge production, knowledge dissemination, and experience-based policy learning. And vice versa: The literature on learning in organizations and policy subsystems should pay more attention to learning in wicked problem processes. The limited dialogue between these literatures is surprising given that the need for information and learning must be assumed to extraordinarily high in awkwardly structured policy subsystems and issues with wicked characteristics. This paper discusses how prerequisites of ideal learning are challenged by characteristics of wicked problems and multi-level governance: the absence of shared problem frames within the policy subsystem, underdeveloped means-ends understandings, few common interests, lack of commitment to policy goals and improvement, and limits on opportunities for information exchange and reflection. Based on the theoretical exposition the paper formulates expectations about learning processes within three policy sectors in Norway – settlement of refugees, regional research policy, and urban development policy.

• Karlsen, Rune; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Stoltenberg, Christina Hoelgaard (2018). Mediepåvirkning i offentlig sektor : Resultat- og dokumentasjonsrapport. Institutt for samfunnsforskning. ISSN 9788277635873. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Rapporten dokumenterer og gjengir hovedfunnene fra spørreundersøkelsene om mediepåvirkning sendt ut til ledere, saksbehandlere og kommunikasjonsansatte i departementene, og i direktorater, ombud og tilsyn høsten 2015 og våren 2016.

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