original_query: How do patron-client relations contribute to the advancement of officials in the nomenklatura?
query: How do patron-client relations contribute to the advancement of officials in the nomenklatura?
answer: In the nomenklatura system, advancement depended heavily on securing a patron who could promote their career.  In return for this assistance, the client (official) would loyally carry out the patron's policies. This patron-client relationship was crucial for career progression within the Soviet bureaucracy.