Original scientific paper
After Managerialism What? The Return to Political and Strategic Priorities
B. Guy Peters
; Maurice Falk Professor of American Government, University of Pittsburgh, USA
Abstract
The paper attempts to identify future directions for public administration in the context of changes in the political system, and especially changes in the executive branch of government. Administrative reforms in the past few decades have been characterized by the New Public Management, democratic governance, public participation, empowerment, etc. At the same time, the political executive itself has been undergoing a range of significant changes. Also, the role of the political executive within the political process has been changing, especially within parliamentary systems. »Presidentialization« of politics in parliamentary systems is connected with domination of prime ministers over their cabinets and
political processes in general. The result of such administrative and political processes is a paradoxical position of the political leadership that concentrates more power on the peak of the political system, while it has diminished power over administration and implementation. However, there are some mechanisms
for maintaining many of the gains of modern administrative reforms while allowing firmer political steering. Four of them are analysed: soft steering, priority setting, the use of a »golden thread«, and performance management. Maintenance of a career and stable civil service is crucial for resolving disjuncture between current political and administrative processes.
Keywords
public administration; administrative reforms; the New Public Management; democratic governance; political executives; presidentialization of parliamentary systems; public participation; civil service
Hrčak ID:
131900
URI
Publication date:
8.9.2011.
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