This paper uses a new dataset on the biographies of finance ministers in four countries – the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, and the United States – to analyze the changing role of finance ministers over the past two hundred years, including both non-democratic and democratic periods. The analysis is primarily concerned with the educational, professional, and political backgrounds of finance ministers. Important cross-country differences are identified – but also common trends over time, notably the increasing frequency of finance ministers who are formally trained economists.
