Political Science Student Association first meeting and elections... first meeting and elections... – Wednesday, October 4 th, 12:30 – PSSA Lounge (HH 342) more information? more information? – Bevin Harvey –

Bureaucracy and Democracy September 28 th, 2006

Liberal Democracy and Bureaucracy confluence confluence bureaucracy is good in that it emphasis impartiality (over participation) bureaucracy is good in that it emphasis impartiality (over participation) dissonance dissonance danger is if bureaucracy becomes too powerful and threatens individual rights danger is if bureaucracy becomes too powerful and threatens individual rights –“Big Brother”

Elite Democracy and Bureaucracy confluence confluence top-down and hierarchical nature of bureaucracy is good top-down and hierarchical nature of bureaucracy is good –merit principle effective mechanism to pursue the general welfare effective mechanism to pursue the general welfare dissonance dissonance danger if bureaucracy becomes too powerful and undermines competition among elected/political elites danger if bureaucracy becomes too powerful and undermines competition among elected/political elites –e.g. development of a permanent non-elected bureaucratic elite making decisions –ultimately decisions must be ratified by elected elites

Majoritarian Democracy and Bureaucracy confluence confluence bureaucracy is an effective mechanism to pursue the general welfare bureaucracy is an effective mechanism to pursue the general welfare –e.g. to put into effect the will of the majority –necessary evil dissonance dissonance top-down hierarchical nature of bureaucracy is bad top-down hierarchical nature of bureaucracy is bad –bureaucracy should be responsive (bottom up) –bureaucracy should be respresentative even if this challenges the merit principleeven if this challenges the merit principle excessive focus on impartiality (over participation) is bad excessive focus on impartiality (over participation) is bad

Main Messages!! Democracy Democracy – there are different models of democracy – NOT one shared vision of democracy Bureaucracy Bureaucracy – in tension with all models of democracy – relationship with democracy is paradoxical (paradox depends on specifical model of democracy) – range bureaucracy is a good approach to democratic decision-making (elite democracy) bureaucracy is a good approach to democratic decision-making (elite democracy) bureaucracy is a necessary evil (majoritarian democracy) bureaucracy is a necessary evil (majoritarian democracy)

Public Administration in Canada... the structure of the Canadian bureaucracy (and its interface with elected officials) represents a particular response to these various concerns and imperatives!! the structure of the Canadian bureaucracy (and its interface with elected officials) represents a particular response to these various concerns and imperatives!! What is that response??? What is that response???

Part II: The Structure of Bureaucracy and the Canadian Political System The Political-Bureaucratic Interface

Cabinet Government what is it? what is it? – collective sharing of executive power how is the structure of cabinet government determined? how is the structure of cabinet government determined? – the Prime Minister who becomes PM? who becomes PM? – prerogatives of the Prime Minister (vis-a-vis cabinet) size and structure of cabinet size and structure of cabinet departmental organization departmental organization cabinet committee structure cabinet committee structure appointments to cabinet appointments to cabinet cabinet agenda cabinet agenda cabinet decisions cabinet decisions

Principles/Roles/Actors in Cabinet Government relationships NOT roles relationships NOT roles not generally legally prescribed not generally legally prescribed considerable room for manoeuvre considerable room for manoeuvre organic link between different relationships organic link between different relationships nature of any given relationship has implications for the nature of other relationships nature of any given relationship has implications for the nature of other relationships change in any one set of relationships implies changes in other sets of relationships change in any one set of relationships implies changes in other sets of relationships relationships are based on tradition but also on continuing acceptance of the obligations/rights inherent in them relationships are based on tradition but also on continuing acceptance of the obligations/rights inherent in them implicit bargains implicit bargains

Centralized Accountability: Collective Ministerial Responsibility what is “responsible government”? what is “responsible government”? – the executive must maintain the confidence of Parliament what is collective ministerial responsibility? what is collective ministerial responsibility? – all ministers must resign if the cabinet loses the confidence of Parliament what constitutes having the confidence of Parliament? what constitutes having the confidence of Parliament? – what pre-conditions would the operation of collective cabinet ministerial responsibility require?

Centralized Accountability: Collective Ministerial Responsibility requirements (enforced by PM) requirements (enforced by PM) – cabinet solidarity – cabinet secrecy cabinet documents exempt from Freedom of Information cabinet documents exempt from Freedom of Information the problem of leaks the problem of leaks why would cabinet ministers agree? why would cabinet ministers agree? price of being in cabinet price of being in cabinet collective self-interest collective self-interest

Diffuse Accountability: Individual Ministerial Responsibility what is individual ministerial responsibility? what is individual ministerial responsibility? – do ministers typically resign for errors committed in their department? no...not if they can help it!! no...not if they can help it!! why not? why not? – minister is answerable publicly (to parliament) for the actions of their department regardless of whether the minister was in charge at the time a problem occurred regardless of whether the minister was in charge at the time a problem occurred ministers are responsible for correcting problems within their department ministers are responsible for correcting problems within their department

Diffuse Accountability: Individual Ministerial Responsibility why would individuals agree to accept this role? why would individuals agree to accept this role? – price for exercising power

Centralized Accountability (Collective Ministerial Responsibility) and Diffuse Accountability (Individual Ministerial Responsibility) the individual minister and cabinet the individual minister and cabinet collective vs. individual ministerial paradox collective vs. individual ministerial paradox –ministers interest in maximizing their own latitude from cabinet control –ministers interested in maximizing cabinet’s ability to direct other ministries the conundrum of cabinet solidarity/cabinet secrecy and individual ministerial responsibility the conundrum of cabinet solidarity/cabinet secrecy and individual ministerial responsibility cabinet/departmental link cabinet/departmental link minister represents department in cabinet minister represents department in cabinet minister represents cabinet to the department minister represents cabinet to the department

The Structure of Government: Centralized and Diffuse Accountability Prime Ministerial/Cabinet government is an attempt to ensure political control... Prime Ministerial/Cabinet government is an attempt to ensure political control... – from the centre of government (Prime Minister and Cabinet) – AND over individual departments (Ministers) structure of government is an attempt to balance between collective ministerial responsibility (centralized accountability) and individual ministerial responsibility (diffuse accountability) structure of government is an attempt to balance between collective ministerial responsibility (centralized accountability) and individual ministerial responsibility (diffuse accountability)

Centralized Accountability (Collective Ministerial Responsibility) and Diffuse Accountability (Individual Ministerial Responsibility) the individual minister and cabinet the individual minister and cabinet collective vs. individual ministerial paradox collective vs. individual ministerial paradox –ministers interest in maximizing their own latitude from cabinet control –ministers interested in maximizing cabinet’s ability to direct other ministries the conundrum of cabinet solidarity/cabinet secrecy and individual ministerial responsibility the conundrum of cabinet solidarity/cabinet secrecy and individual ministerial responsibility

The Structure of Government: The Balance of Centralized and Diffuse Accountability cabinet structure and operation cabinet structure and operation cabinet structure and operation cabinet structure and operation – size size – cabinet committees importance and number importance and number balance between central agencies and line departments balance between central agencies and line departments – line departments – e.g. HRSDC, DFO, Agriculture – central agencies – PCO, PMO, Finance, Treasury Board role of the Deputy Minister role of the Deputy Minister – technically accountable to minister – appointed by PM receives direction from PCO receives direction from PCO

The Political-Bureaucratic Interface Within a Department ministerial accountability -- minister is answerable publicly (to parliament) for the actions of their department ministerial accountability -- minister is answerable publicly (to parliament) for the actions of their department regardless of whether the minister was in charge at the time a problem occurred regardless of whether the minister was in charge at the time a problem occurred ministers are responsible for correcting problems within their department ministers are responsible for correcting problems within their department under what conditions would individuals agree to accept this role? under what conditions would individuals agree to accept this role? – price for exercising power – what would they demand in return

Individual Ministerial Responsibility – Shaping the Political/Bureaucratic Relationship the individual minister demands from their senior bureaucrats... the individual minister demands from their senior bureaucrats... loyalty in service loyalty in service honesty in advice honesty in advice refrain from public comment refrain from public comment = public service neutrality

Individual Ministerial Responsibility – Shaping the Political/Bureaucratic Relationship the senior bureaucrats agree to public service neutrality in exchange for... the senior bureaucrats agree to public service neutrality in exchange for... official anonymity official anonymity promotion based on merit promotion based on merit security of tenure security of tenure

Roles and Responsibilities of Ministers and Deputy Ministers the politics-administration dichotomy the politics-administration dichotomy policy – what should be done policy – what should be done administration – how it should be done administration – how it should be done – does this distinction seem workable? this is the ideal to strive toward even if impossible to achieve this is the ideal to strive toward even if impossible to achieve – basic distinction Minister predominates in policy Minister predominates in policy Deputy Minister predominates in administration Deputy Minister predominates in administration

Roles and Responsibilities of Ministers and Deputy Ministers the role of the Minister the role of the Minister – cabinet/departmental link –minister represents department in cabinet (advocate) –minister represents cabinet to the department – approves/initiates broad policy decisions – answers publicly for the actions of the department

Roles and Responsibilities of Ministers and Deputy Ministers the role of the Deputy Minister the role of the Deputy Minister – administration staffing staffing financial control financial control – policy -- presenting policy options to the Minister in response to ministerial requests – accountability – investigating and correcting problems at the behest of the Minister (with Minister reporting publicly)