2026/05/08 by Ari Mamshae · 2 voices
Arts and Humanities · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Social Sciences · #Historical Economic and Social Studies #Political Systems and Governance #Scottish History and National Identity
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/21622671.2026.2660788
openalex publication_date 2026/05/08 · openalex created_date 2026/05/09 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/15
While patronage research has focused on loyalty and competence, it rarely examines how territorial criteria shape appointment decisions in contexts where regional belonging is politically salient. This study investigates how parties with strong territorial bases use territorial patronage, defined as the strategic consideration of appointees’ territorial origins in central government appointments, to pursue multiple strategic objectives. Using mixed-methods analysis of 115 Director General appointments in the Kurdistan Regional Government, based on original data and elite interviews, we test whether territorial criteria advance electoral (rewarding supportive regions), party organisational (balancing internal factions) and governmental strategy (ensuring oversight across ministries) aims. We find that territorial considerations operate as a cross-cutting imperative, systematically shaping all three patronage dimensions rather than functioning as a separate logic. These findings extend patronage theory by showing how parties’ strategic consideration of appointees’ territorial origins underpins appointment strategies.