Ministers and Civil Servants Flashcards
bureaucracy
governement by non elected salaried administraive works
civil service
a bureaucracy
in departments
headed by ministers
but administed by cilvil service
governement departments
led by governement ministers
cover matters that require direct political oversight
executive aagencies are subordinate to these departments and have a degree of autonomy but provide advice/fundingpolicy and strategic policy
non ministerial departments do not require political oversight and are headed by the top civil servants eg charity commissioner
executive agencies
carry out some of the administitive tasks of governement previously carried out bu the civil service
aemi-autonomous
backgroun od civil service
have to pass an exam-recruited on merit
fancy uni fancy degree v traditional accademics
unrepresentative
lack of experince of the outside world
“cult of the amateur”
trying to move away from posh with illrevevant degrees
role of higher civil servants
- prepare legislation briefing ministers
- administraion
- deveop lines of policy
- policy implementation and management
principle of higher civil servants
permances
neutrality
anonymity
1980s
outsourcing and privatisation
role of ministers
so much work they have jr ministers
normal consituency work
appear before select commmitttees
answer to house of commons
supervise work being done
listen to the advise given to them
limitations on minister
- outnumbered by senior officals
- lack of permanency
- non-specialist
- multiple demands
- difficult to get key info
traititional minister civil servant relationship
minister decides civil servant advise
because minister is ultimatley responsible and accountable
adversarial model
soical background and attitude of the civil service means they can use their wiles to fusstrate the minister if they don;t like the policy
could have a seperate agenda
whitehall community model
alliance of mutual interest
public choice model
tend towards needless growth and inefficientcies
other factors in the ministr civil servant relationship
minister decides civil servant advise
minister are transcient