Why might a government minister resign after a crisis in the minister’s department?

In the context of neoinstitutionalism, a government minister might resign following a crisis in their department for several reasons, depending on the specific institutional perspective:

• Normative Institutionalism: A minister may resign because they perceive it as the appropriate behavior for someone in their role. This action follows an informal norm of conduct during a crisis, regardless of whether the resignation is seen as instrumental to future political success or reelection prospects.1
• Ministerial Responsibility: Under the constitutional principle of ministerial responsibility, ministers are individually accountable to the parliament for the conduct of their ministry, including the actions of their civil servants. In the event of a mistake or wrongdoing, a minister may be called upon to apologize, take corrective action, or resign to uphold the accountability of the government to the legislature.2
• Rational Choice Institutionalism: From this perspective, political actors follow norms to avoid sanctions or maximize rewards. While resignation is often viewed through a normative lens, rational choice theorists might analyze whether such actions are influenced by the need to maintain party discipline or secure future political standing within a specific regime.1