Bureaucracy The Machinery of Government January 30, 2003

Ideal-Type Bureaucracy (Weber) characteristics  hierarchical structure/unity of command  specialization  vs. amateurism  full-time employment  based on merit  vs. patronage/nepotism  decisions based on impersonal rules (vs. arbitrariness)  strict application of codified rules to particular cases

Hierarchical Structure/Unity of Command

Ideal-Type Bureaucracy (Weber) operation – the politics-administration dichotomy  political officials make decisions about overall policy direction  civil servant implement those decisions  works in theory; however, in practice, in the line between politics and administration is blurred  may lead to conflict between political officials and bureaucratic officials  political and bureaucratic officials each bring different resources to this internal jockeying...

Resources – Senior Bureaucratic Officials expertise  policy  process person-power relationship with other departments relationship with clientele tenure  in comparison with elected officials

Resources – Senior Political Officials political legitimacy expertise  political  vis-a-vis public  vis-a-vis the political leadership (e.g. cabinet and PM) ability to manage relationship  outside expertise  competing lines of advice relationship with public/media

(Negative?) Attributes of Bureaucracy rigid  red-tape (inefficient)  stifles creativity top-down  not responsive  not participatory anonymous  nameless, faceless  not representative  not elected

(Positive?) Attributes of Bureaucracy effective  especially at mass routine tasks  in comparison to other forms of organization accountable impartial (as opposed to arbitrary)

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

Elite Democracy and Bureaucracy confluence  top-down and hierarchical nature of bureaucracy is good  effective mechanism to pursue the general welfare dissonance  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

Participatory Democracy and Bureaucracy confluence  effective mechanism to pursue the general welfare  e.g. to put into effect the will of the majority dissonance  top-down hierarchical nature of bureaucracy is bad  excessive focus on impartiality (over participation) is bad

Main Messages!! Bureaucracy  in tension with all models of democracy  relationship with democracy is paradoxical (depending on model of democracy)