Bureaucracy And Democracy Routledge Library Editions Political Science Volume 7

Although a powerful, independent bureaucracy poses a threat to democracy, it is indispensable to its proper functioning. This book provides an overview of the complex relationship between bureaucracy and the politics of democracy and is essential reading for students of sociology, political science and public administration. It is designed to guide students through the maze of classical and modern theories on the topic, to give them basic information on the historical developments in this area and the present them with case histories of the actual relationship between bureaucrats and politicians in democratic societies.

Although a powerful, independent bureaucracy poses a threat to democracy, it is indispensable to its proper functioning. This book provides an overview of the complex relationship between bureaucracy and the politics of democracy and is essential reading for students of sociology, political science and public administration. It is designed to guide students through the maze of classical and modern theories on the topic, to give them basic information on the historical developments in this area and the present them with case histories of the actual relationship between bureaucrats and politicians in democratic societies.

This book, originally published in 1983 examines how effectively in Britain central government is equipped to secure efficiency and responsiveness and argues that as a result of shifts in the balance of power between the executive arm of government in Whitehall and the legislature in Parliament, the British system of government is neither as efficient, nor as responsive to popular will, as a strong democracy requires. The book considers which reforms are most likely to improve the efficiency of the government and to prove acceptable to British political and historical traditions. It reviews the way in which public debate is informed by government release of information and by the press and raises the question of how good a guide to the popular will referenda and public opinion polls are.

Public choice approaches have revolutionized contemporary political science, particularly in the United States, where a "new right" political movement has developed. This book develops a critique of new right views through its coverage of aspects of the public choice/new right literature

This title explores ways in which bureaucracy may not only be compatible with democracy but, more ambitiously, the conditions under which it can enhance it, examining the systems and institutions of the Korean bureaucracy: the National Election Commission, the police force, local government, the ceiling recruitment strategy, and procurement policy.

What is bureaucracy? Are people right to see it as synonymous with red-tape, feather-bedding and inefficiency? Can it be controlled by politicians, or made more responsive to citizens? Is it only confined to the public sector, or is it pervasive throughout all modern organizations? These are only some of the questions addressed in David Beetham's concise and wide-ranging study. This second edition provides a clear guide through the disciplines of economics, sociology and political science, and through competing social theories, including structural, cultural and rational choice approaches. It also offers its own synthesis which goes beyond them. The second edition has been revised and updated in the light of recent academic and political developments. For anyone who wants a lucid introduction to the meaning and significance of bureaucracy, and its relation to democracy, this book is essential reading.