The Politics of the Public Service: Some Implications of Recent Theories of the State for the Analysis of Administrative Systems

In: European journal of political research: official journal of the European Consortium for Political Research, Band 10, Heft 4, S. 353-366

Abstract

Literature on the recent power shift from the legislative to the executive in Western democracies is reviewed, focusing on the increased political importance of government administrative systems. Critiques of earlier pluralist theories in technocratic & corporatist models are summarized; particular attention is given to neo-Marxist analyses of crisis in advanced capitalism, noting the claims that: (1) administrative & public sector institutions cannot meet the goals set for them; (2) these systems tend to generate radical dissent among sectors of their own workers; & (3) they also prepare for a socialist society, in which short-term profitability no longer guides such institutions. While these neo-Marxist views are deemed on the whole correct, their need for empirical testing, both by comparative historical study & research on popular political culture, is emphasized. Relevant criteria of efficiency, stability, & legitimation for administrative systems are summarized. 40 References. Modified HA.