Policy Bureaucracy: Government with a Cast of ThousandsOUP Oxford, 4 aug 2005 - 214 pagina's Policy making is not only about the cut and thrust of politics. It is also a bureaucratic activity. Long before laws are drafted, policy commitments made, or groups consulted on government proposals, officials will have been working away to shape the policy into a form in which it can be presented to ministers and the outside world. Policy bureaucracies - parts of government organizations with specific responsibility for maintaining and developing policy - have to be mobilizedbefore most significant policy initiatives are launched.This book describes the range of work policy officials do. The 140 civil servants interviewed for this study included officials who helped originate policies which were subsequently taken over as manifesto commitments by the Labour Party; officials who helped devise the formula by which billions of pounds are allocated to local government in grants; and also officials who recommended to the Secretary of State that a controversial publisher be allowed to take over a national newspaper. Thebackground and career paths of middle-ranking officials show them to be a diverse group who do not tend to develop long-term subject specialisms. The instructions to which these officials work - whether coming from ministers or senior officials - are often very broad and leave much to personalinterpretation.Policy Bureaucracy goes on to examine how ministers and senior officials affect the work of middle ranking officials and the cues policy bureaucrats use to develop policy. The analytical approach adopted in the book is derived from Alvin Gouldner's Patterns of Industrial Bureaucracy and his elaboration of Max Weber's notion that hierarchy and expertise place a fundamental tension at the heart of modern bureaucracies. In the UK this tension is handled by combining 'invited authority'with 'improvised expertise'. The book also explores other models of handling this tension in political systems in Europe and the USA. |
Overige edities - Alles bekijken
Policy Bureaucracy: Government with a Cast of Thousands Edward C Page,Bill Jenkins Gedeeltelijke weergave - 2005 |
Policy Bureaucracy: Government with a Cast of Thousands Edward Page,William Ieuan Jenkins Geen voorbeeld beschikbaar - 2005 |
Veelvoorkomende woorden en zinsdelen
administrative agency approach argued asked Assets Recovery Agency bill team briefing Cabinet Office career Chapter civil servants Committee consultation cracy cues dealing decisions DEFRA degree departmental described detail developing policy direct discretion document draft European Executive expect fast streamer Gouldner HEO(D hierarchy and expertise HM Treasury Home Office Hutton Inquiry important improvised expertise initiatives interest interviews involved legislation look ment middle grades middle-ranking officials minister offer organizations particular permanent secretary policy bureaucracies policy development policy issues policy job policy officials policymaking political politicians private office problems promotion question regulations representative bureaucracy responsibility role scheme Scottish Scottish Executive Senior Civil senior officials Sewel Motion shape policy social special advisers steer strategic submission subordinate suggested technical tend things tion Treasury UK civil service understanding Weber Whitehall