Government departments are important tools for executive politicians to achieve their goals. However, there has been relatively little research systematically mapping trends in structure and examining the reasons for change in the UK state. This paper draws on a new dataset to map trends in overall ministerial organization, and within ministries, in the United Kingdom. Departments are hierarchical organisations and this perspective examines change not only at the level of the overall department but at levels within each department. As well as mapping change we examine political and policy factors that drive change in organizational structure and their implications for the stability of the system.
