COUNTER-ELITES AND BUREAUCRACIES

In: Governance: an international journal of policy and administration and institutions, Band 6, Heft 3, S. 426-437

Abstract

THE VICTORS IN CLIMACTIC POLITICAL STRUGGLES THAT RESULT IN MAJOR REGIME CHANGES FACE THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE VICTORS IN MORE MUNDANE DEMOCRATIC POLITICS. ON THE ONE HAND, GOVERNING WITHOUT THE ESTABLISHED BUREAUCRACY IS UNIMAGINABLE AND GOVERNING THROUGH IT OFFERS DECIDED ADVANTAGES. ON THE OTHER HAND, COUNTER ELITES HAVE ALL THE REASONS THAT DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED POLITICIANS SHARE TO WORRY ABOUT THE RELIABILITY OF BUREAUCRACIES. THIS ARTICLE EXPLORES THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF A BUREAUCRACY, THE RESPONSE OF THE NEW ELITE TO THE BUREAUCRACY, AND, THE RESPONSE OF THE BUREAUCRACY TO THE NEW ELITE. IT CONCLUDES THAT WE MAY LOOK FORWARD IN YEARS AHEAD TO SEEING WHETHER THE EXPECTATION THAT IN MODERN STATES THE NEED FOR BUREAUCRACY OUTWEIGHS DISTASTE FOR THE PAST BEHAVIOR OF BUREAUCRATS, OR WHETHER DRASTIC CHANGES IN BUREAUCRATIC PERSONNEL OCCUR.