9 - Policy Advice (Comparative Systems)

Question 1

Christiansen, Niklasson and Öhberg 1

(Denmark and Sweden)

Answer 1

• The more merit-recruited civil servants are involved in these tasks, the more the civil service is functionally politicised.
• Results indicate that functional politicisation also has implications for the traditional functions of the civil service.
• The reluctance to supply critical policy advice might be one of them.

Question 2

Christiansen, Niklasson and Öhberg 2

(Denmark and Sweden)

Answer 2

Some 40 years ago they started to drift apart in terms of staffing and organisation of political advice.

Sweden introduced political appointees and political advisers, which over the years have grown substantially in number, and changed recruitment of the top civil servant – the state secretary – of the ministries from merit to political recruitment.

Denmark stuck to merit recruitment and introduced only few political advisers.

Question 3

Christiansen, Niklasson and Öhberg 3

(Denmark and Sweden)

Answer 3

Danish civil servants – as measured by managers employed in the ministerial departments – are much more involved in political-tactical advice than their Swedish counterparts.

This is not surprising.

The demand for political-tactical advice should be of the same magnitude in the two countries, and if Danish ministers have few political advisers to supply such advice, the permanent civil service must deliver it.

Question 4

Hustedt and Salomonsen

(3 types of politicisation)

Answer 4

Formal

Functional

Administrative