The Lure of Power: Career Paths and Considerations among Policy Professionals in Sweden

This article analyzes career paths and career considerations among policy professionals in Sweden. It builds on a longitudinal dataset where the professionals' careers are mapped and interviews conducted over a six-year period. We found that: (1) skills such as the ability to navigate the political system make policy professionals employable in a variety of organizations; (2) considerations regarding different aspects of power were central to their career decisions; and (3) the barriers in their labor market are related to ideological commitments, loyalties, and value hierarchies that make policy professionals reluctant to move anywhere their skills could take them.