Sabino Cassese
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199250158
- eISBN:
- 9780191599439
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199250154.003.0008
- Subject:
- Political Science, European Union
The first section of the chapter discusses the factors that give rise to a need for administrative reform in the public sector: the size and stability of public administrations means that they change ...
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The first section of the chapter discusses the factors that give rise to a need for administrative reform in the public sector: the size and stability of public administrations means that they change less quickly than the political, economic and social framework within which they operate; and frictions periodically emerge between their two components – the political overseers and the administration proper. The second section identifies administrative reform as a peculiarly twentieth century phenomenon in Europe. The remaining sections of the chapter go on to look at various aspects of this administrative reform: reform motivations and objectives; administrative reform in West Europe; and comparative contrasts in administrative reform.Less
The first section of the chapter discusses the factors that give rise to a need for administrative reform in the public sector: the size and stability of public administrations means that they change less quickly than the political, economic and social framework within which they operate; and frictions periodically emerge between their two components – the political overseers and the administration proper. The second section identifies administrative reform as a peculiarly twentieth century phenomenon in Europe. The remaining sections of the chapter go on to look at various aspects of this administrative reform: reform motivations and objectives; administrative reform in West Europe; and comparative contrasts in administrative reform.
B. Guy Peters
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199250158
- eISBN:
- 9780191599439
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199250154.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, European Union
The title of this chapter reflects an important question about the contemporary development of public administration and its role within the contemporary state. It is clear that the public sectors in ...
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The title of this chapter reflects an important question about the contemporary development of public administration and its role within the contemporary state. It is clear that the public sectors in most contemporary European countries have been through some process of administrative reform, and that the traditional public bureaucratic (Weberian) sector has been, to a great extent, dismantled. The character of the emergent system for governing is not always clear, but the question posed by the reforms that have taken place is whether that earlier version of government can, or should, in any way be recaptured. The implicit and explicit argument is that a good deal of value has been lost through these changes in the style of governing, but that it may well be impossible (and undesirable) to rebuild anything approximating the older version of the state and the public bureaucracy. The different sections of the chapter look at the Weberian state (and other forms of bureaucratic government), critiques of the Weberian model, the dismantling administrative reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, and the issue of putting back together the Weberian state.Less
The title of this chapter reflects an important question about the contemporary development of public administration and its role within the contemporary state. It is clear that the public sectors in most contemporary European countries have been through some process of administrative reform, and that the traditional public bureaucratic (Weberian) sector has been, to a great extent, dismantled. The character of the emergent system for governing is not always clear, but the question posed by the reforms that have taken place is whether that earlier version of government can, or should, in any way be recaptured. The implicit and explicit argument is that a good deal of value has been lost through these changes in the style of governing, but that it may well be impossible (and undesirable) to rebuild anything approximating the older version of the state and the public bureaucracy. The different sections of the chapter look at the Weberian state (and other forms of bureaucratic government), critiques of the Weberian model, the dismantling administrative reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, and the issue of putting back together the Weberian state.
G. R. Searle
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198203575
- eISBN:
- 9780191675874
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198203575.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
On January 26, 1854, Britain's House of Commons passed John A. Roebuck's motion of censure, which destroyed the Aberdeen coalition and led to the creation of the Sebastopol Committee. The movement ...
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On January 26, 1854, Britain's House of Commons passed John A. Roebuck's motion of censure, which destroyed the Aberdeen coalition and led to the creation of the Sebastopol Committee. The movement for administrative reform then switched to the country, where Austen Henry Layard, a back-bench liberal MP, made a succession of well-publicized speeches. On May 5, a pressure group came into existence, the Administrative Reform Association (ARA). By far the most important aspect of the movement for administrative reform was the claim that the army and the government both needed to be organized on good, sound ‘business principles’. This chapter examines the impact of the Crimean War on administrative reform initiatives in Britain and looks at ARA's predecessors and similarities to the Anti-Corn Law League. It also discusses administrative reform at the Manchester School, the supporters of administrative reform, critics of ‘business principles’, the role of leadership in the failure of ARA, ARA's lack of political strategy, and the release of the Northcote-Trevelyan report in February 1854.Less
On January 26, 1854, Britain's House of Commons passed John A. Roebuck's motion of censure, which destroyed the Aberdeen coalition and led to the creation of the Sebastopol Committee. The movement for administrative reform then switched to the country, where Austen Henry Layard, a back-bench liberal MP, made a succession of well-publicized speeches. On May 5, a pressure group came into existence, the Administrative Reform Association (ARA). By far the most important aspect of the movement for administrative reform was the claim that the army and the government both needed to be organized on good, sound ‘business principles’. This chapter examines the impact of the Crimean War on administrative reform initiatives in Britain and looks at ARA's predecessors and similarities to the Anti-Corn Law League. It also discusses administrative reform at the Manchester School, the supporters of administrative reform, critics of ‘business principles’, the role of leadership in the failure of ARA, ARA's lack of political strategy, and the release of the Northcote-Trevelyan report in February 1854.
Maurice Wright
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199250530
- eISBN:
- 9780191697937
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199250530.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
The fiscal crisis experienced in Japan from the mid-1970s gave rise to a broadly based campaign of administrative reform associated with the work of the Second Provisional Commission for ...
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The fiscal crisis experienced in Japan from the mid-1970s gave rise to a broadly based campaign of administrative reform associated with the work of the Second Provisional Commission for Administrative Reform, launched in 1981. This chapter assesses the extent to which the administrative reform movement in the 1980s changed the administrative context within which the central budgetary system was operated in Japan. It also examines the re-emergence in the 1990s of administrative reform as a political issue on the agenda of successive coalition governments, together with the broadening of the reform agenda in Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto's six ‘visions’. The chapter argues that the conditions of persistent fiscal crisis in the 1980s did not act as a catalyst for a radical re-conceptualization of the role and purpose of the public sector in Japan comparable to that which occurred elsewhere in other G7 countries at that time, and explains why its structure and organization remained relatively unchanged throughout the last quarter of the 20th century.Less
The fiscal crisis experienced in Japan from the mid-1970s gave rise to a broadly based campaign of administrative reform associated with the work of the Second Provisional Commission for Administrative Reform, launched in 1981. This chapter assesses the extent to which the administrative reform movement in the 1980s changed the administrative context within which the central budgetary system was operated in Japan. It also examines the re-emergence in the 1990s of administrative reform as a political issue on the agenda of successive coalition governments, together with the broadening of the reform agenda in Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto's six ‘visions’. The chapter argues that the conditions of persistent fiscal crisis in the 1980s did not act as a catalyst for a radical re-conceptualization of the role and purpose of the public sector in Japan comparable to that which occurred elsewhere in other G7 countries at that time, and explains why its structure and organization remained relatively unchanged throughout the last quarter of the 20th century.
John Deak
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780804795579
- eISBN:
- 9780804795937
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804795579.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
Chapter abstract: Chapter 6 covers the period between 1895 and the year 1914, which was marked by parliamentary crises, political stalemates, and the start of the First World War. The important role ...
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Chapter abstract: Chapter 6 covers the period between 1895 and the year 1914, which was marked by parliamentary crises, political stalemates, and the start of the First World War. The important role of the bureaucracy in the political system of the empire meant that the administration could exert a calming influence in politics and keep political parties involved in governance behind closed doors. In the meantime, high-ranking officials searched for structural solutions to the monarchy's political problems. The search for solutions actually dominated the last twenty years of peace in the monarchy, culminating in an Imperial Commission for Administrative Reform. The work of the commission was cut short by the outbreak of the First World War, but not before it indicated a snapshot of what imperial Austria might have looked like had it continued to evolve under bureaucratic and parliamentary leadership.Less
Chapter abstract: Chapter 6 covers the period between 1895 and the year 1914, which was marked by parliamentary crises, political stalemates, and the start of the First World War. The important role of the bureaucracy in the political system of the empire meant that the administration could exert a calming influence in politics and keep political parties involved in governance behind closed doors. In the meantime, high-ranking officials searched for structural solutions to the monarchy's political problems. The search for solutions actually dominated the last twenty years of peace in the monarchy, culminating in an Imperial Commission for Administrative Reform. The work of the commission was cut short by the outbreak of the First World War, but not before it indicated a snapshot of what imperial Austria might have looked like had it continued to evolve under bureaucratic and parliamentary leadership.
Anchrit Wille
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199665693
- eISBN:
- 9780191755989
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199665693.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, European Union
The European Commission is evolving into a normal executive. In the 1950s, it started out as a technocratic international organization, but it has acquired many of the organizational features and ...
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The European Commission is evolving into a normal executive. In the 1950s, it started out as a technocratic international organization, but it has acquired many of the organizational features and behavioural patterns that are highly typical of the ‘normal’ executives in national settings. This ‘normalization’ of the EU executive is due to a series of treaty reforms and internal administrative transformations that were effectuated after the demise of the Santer Commission. Based on a large number of in-depth interviews with commissioners, heads of cabinet, and senior civil servants in the Commission, and on extensive documentary evidence, this study shows how a reinforced regime of political and administrative accountability has profoundly changed the executive relationships between politicians and bureaucrats in the Commission. The book presents a grounded empirical portrait of life at the top in the EU, exposing the Commission’s struggle to revive its legitimacy and to turn it into a more transparent, accountable, and efficient organization during the Prodi and Barroso’s tenures. Officials and officeholders describe in their own words the imperatives they face and the relationships they maintain, allowing readers to have a rare look at the day-to-day practices in one of the world’s most powerful executives.Less
The European Commission is evolving into a normal executive. In the 1950s, it started out as a technocratic international organization, but it has acquired many of the organizational features and behavioural patterns that are highly typical of the ‘normal’ executives in national settings. This ‘normalization’ of the EU executive is due to a series of treaty reforms and internal administrative transformations that were effectuated after the demise of the Santer Commission. Based on a large number of in-depth interviews with commissioners, heads of cabinet, and senior civil servants in the Commission, and on extensive documentary evidence, this study shows how a reinforced regime of political and administrative accountability has profoundly changed the executive relationships between politicians and bureaucrats in the Commission. The book presents a grounded empirical portrait of life at the top in the EU, exposing the Commission’s struggle to revive its legitimacy and to turn it into a more transparent, accountable, and efficient organization during the Prodi and Barroso’s tenures. Officials and officeholders describe in their own words the imperatives they face and the relationships they maintain, allowing readers to have a rare look at the day-to-day practices in one of the world’s most powerful executives.
Mark Thatcher
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199250158
- eISBN:
- 9780191599439
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199250154.003.0018
- Subject:
- Political Science, European Union
This chapter compares industrial policy and economic regulation in Britain and France in order to consider national capacities to alter institutions and policy norms. Analyses of the period between ...
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This chapter compares industrial policy and economic regulation in Britain and France in order to consider national capacities to alter institutions and policy norms. Analyses of the period between 1945 and 1980 have claimed that French policy-makers enjoyed much greater innovatory capacities than their British counterparts, using industrial policy as an example to support their views. Yet the reverse held true in the 1980s and 1990s: Britain was able to introduce more comprehensive reforms, and did so with less difficulty and earlier than did France. It moved decisively towards a ‘regulatory state’, whereas France followed the same direction of change but at a slower, more hesitant pace, without adopting a new rationale for state action. The chapter analyses how and why this was so from a historical institutionalist perspective, before drawing some more general conclusions about institutional change.Less
This chapter compares industrial policy and economic regulation in Britain and France in order to consider national capacities to alter institutions and policy norms. Analyses of the period between 1945 and 1980 have claimed that French policy-makers enjoyed much greater innovatory capacities than their British counterparts, using industrial policy as an example to support their views. Yet the reverse held true in the 1980s and 1990s: Britain was able to introduce more comprehensive reforms, and did so with less difficulty and earlier than did France. It moved decisively towards a ‘regulatory state’, whereas France followed the same direction of change but at a slower, more hesitant pace, without adopting a new rationale for state action. The chapter analyses how and why this was so from a historical institutionalist perspective, before drawing some more general conclusions about institutional change.
PHILIP HARLING
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198205760
- eISBN:
- 9780191676772
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198205760.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Political History
Despite Tory fears, the Whig commitment to constitutional reform neither destroyed the authority of the traditional ruling élite nor devalued financial and administrative reforms as a means of ...
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Despite Tory fears, the Whig commitment to constitutional reform neither destroyed the authority of the traditional ruling élite nor devalued financial and administrative reforms as a means of preserving it. But it did mark a dramatic change in governing style. Two generations of Tories had sought to convince the people that a government which very few of them had chosen could rule efficiently and responsibly. The formation of a ministry pledged to retrenchment reform marked a crucial turning-point in high politics. Unlike most Tories, the Reform coalition trusted that thorough constitutional reform would not tear apart the social fabric. All radicals considered parliamentary reform to be the first necessity. Whig interventionism did not preclude administrative reform and retrenchment. In fact, the Whigs substantially added to the economical reforms that had been made during the long period of Tory rule.Less
Despite Tory fears, the Whig commitment to constitutional reform neither destroyed the authority of the traditional ruling élite nor devalued financial and administrative reforms as a means of preserving it. But it did mark a dramatic change in governing style. Two generations of Tories had sought to convince the people that a government which very few of them had chosen could rule efficiently and responsibly. The formation of a ministry pledged to retrenchment reform marked a crucial turning-point in high politics. Unlike most Tories, the Reform coalition trusted that thorough constitutional reform would not tear apart the social fabric. All radicals considered parliamentary reform to be the first necessity. Whig interventionism did not preclude administrative reform and retrenchment. In fact, the Whigs substantially added to the economical reforms that had been made during the long period of Tory rule.
Monica Pinhanez
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199659036
- eISBN:
- 9780191749032
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199659036.003.0013
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter shows how an elite cadre of public sector officials played a key role in the success of administrative reforms in Brazil’s state tax administration bureaus in the 1990s. The success of ...
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This chapter shows how an elite cadre of public sector officials played a key role in the success of administrative reforms in Brazil’s state tax administration bureaus in the 1990s. The success of the reforms strengthened public sector bureaucracies and institutions at all government levels, predominantly in the tax departments. At the state level, the tax administrative reforms comprised complex changes in organizational structure, technology, and institutional arrangements. These reforms resulted in increased tax revenues, tax compliance, and successful restructuring. For the public officials who took part in the process, the reforms meant finding a new identity, and a new mission. As such, this chapter explores an alternative mode of getting public sector officials to commit and own public sector changes.Less
This chapter shows how an elite cadre of public sector officials played a key role in the success of administrative reforms in Brazil’s state tax administration bureaus in the 1990s. The success of the reforms strengthened public sector bureaucracies and institutions at all government levels, predominantly in the tax departments. At the state level, the tax administrative reforms comprised complex changes in organizational structure, technology, and institutional arrangements. These reforms resulted in increased tax revenues, tax compliance, and successful restructuring. For the public officials who took part in the process, the reforms meant finding a new identity, and a new mission. As such, this chapter explores an alternative mode of getting public sector officials to commit and own public sector changes.
Hussein Kassim
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199599523
- eISBN:
- 9780191751530
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199599523.003.0008
- Subject:
- Political Science, European Union
Following the resignation of the Santer Commission, the Prodi College enacted a comprehensive administrative reform programme between 2000 and 2005. Although earlier studies have examined the ...
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Following the resignation of the Santer Commission, the Prodi College enacted a comprehensive administrative reform programme between 2000 and 2005. Although earlier studies have examined the origins, design and implementation of the reform, neither the attitudes of officials nor the impact on the organization have been extensively investigated. This chapter explores attitudes to this attempt to modernize the organization and to bring it more closely in line with other administrations. It finds that officials are divided on the merits of most of the measures introduced, and that a plurality of officials are negatively disposed. Analysis shows that level of seniority and, to a lesser extent, nationality are significant predictors of attitudes within the organization. Despite the mixed reception for the reform, the experience of has removed an important taboo, with the result that administrative change is now a permanent feature of the working life of the Commission.Less
Following the resignation of the Santer Commission, the Prodi College enacted a comprehensive administrative reform programme between 2000 and 2005. Although earlier studies have examined the origins, design and implementation of the reform, neither the attitudes of officials nor the impact on the organization have been extensively investigated. This chapter explores attitudes to this attempt to modernize the organization and to bring it more closely in line with other administrations. It finds that officials are divided on the merits of most of the measures introduced, and that a plurality of officials are negatively disposed. Analysis shows that level of seniority and, to a lesser extent, nationality are significant predictors of attitudes within the organization. Despite the mixed reception for the reform, the experience of has removed an important taboo, with the result that administrative change is now a permanent feature of the working life of the Commission.
Peter Knoepfel
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781447345053
- eISBN:
- 9781447345091
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447345053.003.0013
- Subject:
- Political Science, Public Policy
This chapter deals with Organization which is the existence (or absence) of adequate internal and external structures and procedures that enable an actor to pursue their interests and values during ...
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This chapter deals with Organization which is the existence (or absence) of adequate internal and external structures and procedures that enable an actor to pursue their interests and values during the different policy production stages (program formulation, implementation). It consists of real world interaction processes between specific actors (resource Personnel), which are regulated by rules that vary in terms of precision (general and policy-specific rules). In relation to public actors this resource corresponds to what we call a political-administrative arrangement (PAA), which shapes implementation processes in accordance with administrative procedural acts. Such arrangements can be made visible by retracing the dossier circulation process (including among decision-makers and other actors invited or obliged to provide advance notices), which are specific for the production of various categories of policy outputs. The chapter provides examples from water protection policy, institutional administrative reform policy, environmental policy, and agricultural and health policy. Its main focus concerns all kinds of administrative reforms aimed at improving the coordination between different public policies.Less
This chapter deals with Organization which is the existence (or absence) of adequate internal and external structures and procedures that enable an actor to pursue their interests and values during the different policy production stages (program formulation, implementation). It consists of real world interaction processes between specific actors (resource Personnel), which are regulated by rules that vary in terms of precision (general and policy-specific rules). In relation to public actors this resource corresponds to what we call a political-administrative arrangement (PAA), which shapes implementation processes in accordance with administrative procedural acts. Such arrangements can be made visible by retracing the dossier circulation process (including among decision-makers and other actors invited or obliged to provide advance notices), which are specific for the production of various categories of policy outputs. The chapter provides examples from water protection policy, institutional administrative reform policy, environmental policy, and agricultural and health policy. Its main focus concerns all kinds of administrative reforms aimed at improving the coordination between different public policies.
Paul Craig
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199568628
- eISBN:
- 9780191739415
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199568628.003.0002
- Subject:
- Law, EU Law, Constitutional and Administrative Law
This chapter focuses on the impact of the resignation of the Santer Commission, which had profound significance for EU administration, and the controls to which it was subject. The resignation ...
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This chapter focuses on the impact of the resignation of the Santer Commission, which had profound significance for EU administration, and the controls to which it was subject. The resignation received front-page attention in the press, proof for those minded to believe it of the malaise which had long existed within that organization. Its downfall was prompted by the First Report of the Committee of Independent Experts. This was followed in quick succession by reforms instituted by Romano Prodi as the new President of the Commission, by the Committee of Independent Experts' Second Report, by the White Paper on Reform of the Commission and implementation of these reforms. An understanding of these developments is crucial in order to appreciate the current pattern of EU administration. The chapter charts these developments leading to administrative reform, including the Financial Regulation of 2002, which established a constitutional framework for Union administration of the kind that had not existed hitherto.Less
This chapter focuses on the impact of the resignation of the Santer Commission, which had profound significance for EU administration, and the controls to which it was subject. The resignation received front-page attention in the press, proof for those minded to believe it of the malaise which had long existed within that organization. Its downfall was prompted by the First Report of the Committee of Independent Experts. This was followed in quick succession by reforms instituted by Romano Prodi as the new President of the Commission, by the Committee of Independent Experts' Second Report, by the White Paper on Reform of the Commission and implementation of these reforms. An understanding of these developments is crucial in order to appreciate the current pattern of EU administration. The chapter charts these developments leading to administrative reform, including the Financial Regulation of 2002, which established a constitutional framework for Union administration of the kind that had not existed hitherto.
Anchrit Wille
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199665693
- eISBN:
- 9780191755989
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199665693.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, European Union
This chapter describes how political and administrative reforms have changed the basic accountability system of the European Commission over the last decade. It is shown how the vision and values, ...
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This chapter describes how political and administrative reforms have changed the basic accountability system of the European Commission over the last decade. It is shown how the vision and values, the organizational DNA, on which the EU Commission was built became incongruent with internal and external challenges. There was a strategic reorientation, after the Commission’s crisis in 1999. Ex ante constraints and ex post incentives combined to provide a system for more control in and accountability over the Commission. There was a strengthening of accountability mechanisms and a shift in the salience of different types of accountability. In addition to legal and professional accountability systems, an elaborate structure was created that stressed political and bureaucratic mechanisms and has created new expectations of accountability from commissioners and their senior officials.Less
This chapter describes how political and administrative reforms have changed the basic accountability system of the European Commission over the last decade. It is shown how the vision and values, the organizational DNA, on which the EU Commission was built became incongruent with internal and external challenges. There was a strategic reorientation, after the Commission’s crisis in 1999. Ex ante constraints and ex post incentives combined to provide a system for more control in and accountability over the Commission. There was a strengthening of accountability mechanisms and a shift in the salience of different types of accountability. In addition to legal and professional accountability systems, an elaborate structure was created that stressed political and bureaucratic mechanisms and has created new expectations of accountability from commissioners and their senior officials.
David Eastwood
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198204817
- eISBN:
- 9780191676406
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198204817.003.0008
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This chapter discusses the essence and parochial administration of the poor law, which articulated authority within parishes, sharply defining the office-holding elite of leading ratepayers, and ...
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This chapter discusses the essence and parochial administration of the poor law, which articulated authority within parishes, sharply defining the office-holding elite of leading ratepayers, and establishing complex networks of power, paternalism and dependence. Attempts to cultivate the habit of industry, administration and administrative reform, and amendment are also described.Less
This chapter discusses the essence and parochial administration of the poor law, which articulated authority within parishes, sharply defining the office-holding elite of leading ratepayers, and establishing complex networks of power, paternalism and dependence. Attempts to cultivate the habit of industry, administration and administrative reform, and amendment are also described.
Tom Gallagher
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- July 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780719077432
- eISBN:
- 9781781702260
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719077432.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, European Union
This chapter explores the failure of the European Union (EU)'s plans to promote a professional civil service. Finance remained one of the weakest central ministries. The government showed an ...
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This chapter explores the failure of the European Union (EU)'s plans to promote a professional civil service. Finance remained one of the weakest central ministries. The government showed an undiminished desire to regularly redesign new laws rather than attempt to implement them as they currently stood. It was difficult to retain competent people in light of the politicisation of the civil service and the lack of a fulfilling career structure. Local government should not be overlooked when assessing the fate of administrative reform. The EU failed to react when it was clear that a professional civil service able to assume the responsibilities of implementing legislation emanating from the EU in a transparent manner was not going to emerge without a titanic struggle in which it would need to play a decisive role. The Romanian authorities under Adrian Năstase and during the Tăriceanu Premiership rarely displayed much fear of the EU.Less
This chapter explores the failure of the European Union (EU)'s plans to promote a professional civil service. Finance remained one of the weakest central ministries. The government showed an undiminished desire to regularly redesign new laws rather than attempt to implement them as they currently stood. It was difficult to retain competent people in light of the politicisation of the civil service and the lack of a fulfilling career structure. Local government should not be overlooked when assessing the fate of administrative reform. The EU failed to react when it was clear that a professional civil service able to assume the responsibilities of implementing legislation emanating from the EU in a transparent manner was not going to emerge without a titanic struggle in which it would need to play a decisive role. The Romanian authorities under Adrian Năstase and during the Tăriceanu Premiership rarely displayed much fear of the EU.
Alan Ryan
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691148403
- eISBN:
- 9781400841950
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691148403.003.0017
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Political Philosophy
This chapter examines John Stuart Mill's views on utilitarianism and bureaucracy, with particular emphasis on those dilemmas about administration that we can see in his writings. It first offers some ...
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This chapter examines John Stuart Mill's views on utilitarianism and bureaucracy, with particular emphasis on those dilemmas about administration that we can see in his writings. It first offers some remarks about the case of nineteenth-century administrative reform, and more specifically the extent to which we explain the changes in the organization, recruitment, and functions of the English bureaucracy as a result of deliberate planning by ideologically sophisticated reformers. It then analyzes Mill's views on the civil service—its role, its mode of recruitment, and so on—in order to assemble a tolerably clear picture of the kinds of difficulty that confront the utilitarian theorist of politics. It suggests that Mill's arguments show us how utilitarian theories could be strengthened and weakened by influences from such unlikely sources as Samuel Taylor Coleridge's romantic conservatism and the continental liberalism of Wilhelm von Humboldt and Alexis de Tocqueville.Less
This chapter examines John Stuart Mill's views on utilitarianism and bureaucracy, with particular emphasis on those dilemmas about administration that we can see in his writings. It first offers some remarks about the case of nineteenth-century administrative reform, and more specifically the extent to which we explain the changes in the organization, recruitment, and functions of the English bureaucracy as a result of deliberate planning by ideologically sophisticated reformers. It then analyzes Mill's views on the civil service—its role, its mode of recruitment, and so on—in order to assemble a tolerably clear picture of the kinds of difficulty that confront the utilitarian theorist of politics. It suggests that Mill's arguments show us how utilitarian theories could be strengthened and weakened by influences from such unlikely sources as Samuel Taylor Coleridge's romantic conservatism and the continental liberalism of Wilhelm von Humboldt and Alexis de Tocqueville.
Anchrit Wille
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199665693
- eISBN:
- 9780191755989
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199665693.003.0006
- Subject:
- Political Science, European Union
Senior officials play a pivotal role in the Commission, linking the political to the administrative system. The logic of the political–bureaucratic system forces them to pay attention, on the one ...
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Senior officials play a pivotal role in the Commission, linking the political to the administrative system. The logic of the political–bureaucratic system forces them to pay attention, on the one hand, to their political ‘masters’ and, on the other hand, to the conservation of the distinctive values and competences of the Commission’s administration. In recent years, the Commission and its staff have been engaged in the task of overhauling administrative systems and procedures, to equip the institution with a modern and effective European civil service. This chapter discusses the repercussions of the reforms for the position and job of top officials in the Commission. It describes how the new appointment system has changed their career paths. It also examines how the demands of increasing performance measurement and accountability affected the role of senior officials.Less
Senior officials play a pivotal role in the Commission, linking the political to the administrative system. The logic of the political–bureaucratic system forces them to pay attention, on the one hand, to their political ‘masters’ and, on the other hand, to the conservation of the distinctive values and competences of the Commission’s administration. In recent years, the Commission and its staff have been engaged in the task of overhauling administrative systems and procedures, to equip the institution with a modern and effective European civil service. This chapter discusses the repercussions of the reforms for the position and job of top officials in the Commission. It describes how the new appointment system has changed their career paths. It also examines how the demands of increasing performance measurement and accountability affected the role of senior officials.
Maura E. Hametz
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780823243396
- eISBN:
- 9780823243433
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823243396.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, Social History
This chapter examines the development of the Italian administrative and justice systems under Fascism. It explores the Fascist state’s expectations for nationalism and patriotism in the context of ...
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This chapter examines the development of the Italian administrative and justice systems under Fascism. It explores the Fascist state’s expectations for nationalism and patriotism in the context of attempts to standardize the Italian legal system and centralize power to assert the primacy of Rome. Cultural aims and educational philosophies intersected with legal reforms, administrative restructuring, and nationalist policies that aimed to transform the state and to assimilate the borderland. The chapter sets the stage for Paulovich’s protest related to the method and process of application of the surname measure. It lays the foundation for the widow’s conflict with the prefect and local officials that magistrates in the Administrative Court were forced to mediate, a clash between officials’ interpretations of the rights of Italian citizens and their views of the responsibilities of members of Fascist society.Less
This chapter examines the development of the Italian administrative and justice systems under Fascism. It explores the Fascist state’s expectations for nationalism and patriotism in the context of attempts to standardize the Italian legal system and centralize power to assert the primacy of Rome. Cultural aims and educational philosophies intersected with legal reforms, administrative restructuring, and nationalist policies that aimed to transform the state and to assimilate the borderland. The chapter sets the stage for Paulovich’s protest related to the method and process of application of the surname measure. It lays the foundation for the widow’s conflict with the prefect and local officials that magistrates in the Administrative Court were forced to mediate, a clash between officials’ interpretations of the rights of Italian citizens and their views of the responsibilities of members of Fascist society.
Bengt Jacobsson, Jon Pierre, and Göran Sundström
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199684168
- eISBN:
- 9780191764714
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199684168.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This chapter examines how governing strategies that have been observed and conceptualized in earlier chapters relate to ideas and decisions within the policy field that explicitly deals with these ...
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This chapter examines how governing strategies that have been observed and conceptualized in earlier chapters relate to ideas and decisions within the policy field that explicitly deals with these kinds of questions: administrative reform. Administrative reform in Sweden has since its formation very much concerned questions about how to govern. From the beginning, the reformers came to concentrate their efforts on one specific governing model: management by results. Other ways of thinking were gradually crowded out. However, governing in complex and ambiguous situations necessitates a broader configuration of governing strategies than those offered by management by results. Management by results seldom fostered learning and the reform activities could often be seen as rituals of rationality. As demonstrated in the previous chapters, other governing strategies than those connected with the reforms were in fact exercised by the government. These strategies were used not because of, but despite, administrative reforms.Less
This chapter examines how governing strategies that have been observed and conceptualized in earlier chapters relate to ideas and decisions within the policy field that explicitly deals with these kinds of questions: administrative reform. Administrative reform in Sweden has since its formation very much concerned questions about how to govern. From the beginning, the reformers came to concentrate their efforts on one specific governing model: management by results. Other ways of thinking were gradually crowded out. However, governing in complex and ambiguous situations necessitates a broader configuration of governing strategies than those offered by management by results. Management by results seldom fostered learning and the reform activities could often be seen as rituals of rationality. As demonstrated in the previous chapters, other governing strategies than those connected with the reforms were in fact exercised by the government. These strategies were used not because of, but despite, administrative reforms.
Hussein Kassim, John Peterson, Michael W. Bauer, Sara Connolly, Renaud Dehousse, Liesbet Hooghe, and Andrew Thompson
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199599523
- eISBN:
- 9780191751530
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199599523.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, European Union
Drawing on original data from an online survey and a programme of interviews conducted by an international team of researchers, this book examines the internal working of the European Commission and ...
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Drawing on original data from an online survey and a programme of interviews conducted by an international team of researchers, this book examines the internal working of the European Commission and the beliefs and backgrounds of its personnel. Testing widely accepted wisdoms about the organization, the book provides a detailed analysis of one of the world’s most powerful international administrations. It asks: Who are the people who work for the Commission? What do officials believe about the role of the Commission in the EU? Do they think that the Union should have more or less power? What leads them to choose to pursue a career in the Commission, and how do they navigate its complexities? How does the Barroso Commission compare to previous Commissions? How harmonious are relations between cabinets and the services? What has been the impact on the Commission of administrative reform and of the ‘big bang’ enlargement? The findings challenge many established myths about the organization. Among the most important, these are: • Commission officials are not overwhelmingly career bureaucrats, but come from a variety of professional backgrounds • Although most joined the Commission to ‘build Europe’, they differ on whether the EU should be federal or state-centric • The networks formed by officials to negotiate the organization are based on professional contacts, not nationality; • The Barroso Commission is more presidentialized than its predecessors and coordination is more effective than in the past; • Officials are ambivalent about the profound changes brought about by administrative reform and enlargement.In summary, the book presents a picture of the Commission that is sharply different from earlier studies.Less
Drawing on original data from an online survey and a programme of interviews conducted by an international team of researchers, this book examines the internal working of the European Commission and the beliefs and backgrounds of its personnel. Testing widely accepted wisdoms about the organization, the book provides a detailed analysis of one of the world’s most powerful international administrations. It asks: Who are the people who work for the Commission? What do officials believe about the role of the Commission in the EU? Do they think that the Union should have more or less power? What leads them to choose to pursue a career in the Commission, and how do they navigate its complexities? How does the Barroso Commission compare to previous Commissions? How harmonious are relations between cabinets and the services? What has been the impact on the Commission of administrative reform and of the ‘big bang’ enlargement? The findings challenge many established myths about the organization. Among the most important, these are: • Commission officials are not overwhelmingly career bureaucrats, but come from a variety of professional backgrounds • Although most joined the Commission to ‘build Europe’, they differ on whether the EU should be federal or state-centric • The networks formed by officials to negotiate the organization are based on professional contacts, not nationality; • The Barroso Commission is more presidentialized than its predecessors and coordination is more effective than in the past; • Officials are ambivalent about the profound changes brought about by administrative reform and enlargement.In summary, the book presents a picture of the Commission that is sharply different from earlier studies.