EXTRA-Civil Service Flashcards
What does the civil service comprise of?
all government departments and executive agencies in Great Britain and includes the Diplomatic Service
How many civil servants were there in 2016 which were full time?
315,000
Who is the head of each department of the civil service?
a Permanent Secretary
Who were usually those selected for the civil service?
those with first class degrees from older and more prestigious universities
Since the 1990’s what has there been a broadening basis of recruitment of? (3)
- increased recruitment of non-oxbrudge universities
- a movement away from the arts subjects
- greater scope for women and members of ethnic minorities
What have various enquires into the ‘bias’ of the civli service suggested?
that it may not be a conscious preference for a certain type of character, more that younger people with those backgrounds tend to apply to join the civil service
What are 3 qualities of candidates from oxbridge when they perform well in interviews?
- confidence
- well spoken
- plenty of savour faire
in 2016 what % of civil servants were from an ethnic minority background?
11.2%
What % of civil servants were between 30-59?
80%+
What are the 4 core roles of the higher civil service who work in Whitehall?
- preparing legislation
- administration
- helping to develop the departments attitudes and work
- policy implementation/management
How do higher civil servants perform the role of preparing legislation?
they draw up answers to parliamentary questions
How do the higher civil servants perform the role of administration?
they oversee and carry out the day to day work of the department
What may be involved when the higher civil servants perform the role of administration when they oversee and carry out the day to day work of the department?
meeting up with representatives of pressure groups ro dealing with difficult, non routine practical problems
What are the 3 doctrines of the higher civil service?
- Impartiality
- Permanence
- Neutrality
unlike the US what do the civl servants not do at election time?
they do not change
What is the permanence of the civil service associated with?
experience and continuity
What does permanence coupled with confidentiality mean for civil servants?
that they can speak frankly to ministers without fear of dismissal
What could the permanence, which means ‘no change at the top’ mean?
that the civil service is stifled from fresh thinking and new initiatives
What does it mean by neutrality?
officials are required to be politically impartial , not letting their personal political leanings affect their actions
Why would it be difficult for the civli servants to remain in office?
if they were partisan
What have some political observers claimed the British civil service to have become in the last decade of the 20th century?
increasingly politicised
Why do some critics argue that neutrality puts it too strongly?
as civil servants are expected to further the policies of the elected government
Who are special advisers?
these are advisers who are appointed to provide political advice, assessment and support to ministers, offering an alternative perspective to those provided by civil servants
IN what 2 decades was there an increase of the number of special advisers?
1980’s and 1990’s
How is the PM supposed to appoint senior civil servants?
from a handful of shortlisted candidates purely on the basis of merit without political consideration
Which PM exercised their powers of patronage to select senior civil servants who were efficient managers and who were sympathetic to the governments aims?
Margret Thatcher
What is the role of civil servants under anonymity?
to offer confidential advice in secret
What would be endangered if civil servants became public figures?
this would endanger their reputation for neutrality as they could be identified with a particular policy
Other than being identified by the public with a particular policy, what might also prevent civil servants from offering frank advice to ministers?
if they knew they could be named
What are 3 disadvantages of anonymity
- conceal poor advice
- give less incentive for officials to improve their effectiveness
- shield them from consequences of any inadequacy
How have civil servants become less anonymous?
they are more recognisable from investigatory reports and they appear before select committees of the HOC
