The Tradition of Patronage Appointments in Mongolia


Authors : Otgonbayar Nyamaa; Lkhagvarentsen Ochirbat

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 2 - February


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/4fend3jt

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/539m35ec

DOI : https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14987750


Abstract : Mongolia is a democratic country located in Central Asia. More than 30 years ago, the country transitioned to a democratic system and initiated and implemented wide-ranging social, economic, and political reforms. One component of these reforms was the reform of the civil service. However, recent studies have pointed out that the efforts made to reform and change the civil service have not been effective. One of the more important political factors affecting the quality of civil service institutions in Mongolia is the colonization of the state apparatus by politically appointed public sector employees. In other words, patronage appointments have long characterized the professionalism of Mongolia's civil service. The article attempts to study patronage appointments in Mongolia’s civil service and their current state from a historical perspective. Researchers propose that throughout Mongolia's statehood history, five types of patronage appointments have existed, influenced by the organizational characteristics of the states that prevailed in different periods.

Keywords : Patronage Appointments, Public Service, Politicization, Bureaucracy, and Mongolia.

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Mongolia is a democratic country located in Central Asia. More than 30 years ago, the country transitioned to a democratic system and initiated and implemented wide-ranging social, economic, and political reforms. One component of these reforms was the reform of the civil service. However, recent studies have pointed out that the efforts made to reform and change the civil service have not been effective. One of the more important political factors affecting the quality of civil service institutions in Mongolia is the colonization of the state apparatus by politically appointed public sector employees. In other words, patronage appointments have long characterized the professionalism of Mongolia's civil service. The article attempts to study patronage appointments in Mongolia’s civil service and their current state from a historical perspective. Researchers propose that throughout Mongolia's statehood history, five types of patronage appointments have existed, influenced by the organizational characteristics of the states that prevailed in different periods.

Keywords : Patronage Appointments, Public Service, Politicization, Bureaucracy, and Mongolia.

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