The administrative liberalism of R. MacGregor Dawson

Abstract: Nothing could be more characteristic of the thought of R. MacGregor Dawson than his ideas about the role of the civil service in a liberal democracy. His approach to this question forms a distinct theory which can be called administrative liberalism. This theory can be pieced together from Dawson's diverse writings and consists of three interrelated facets. First, there is a need for a reformed, merit-based civil service; second, there must be a willingness to give the civil service “official independence”; and finally, there must be a special relationship between a minister and his officials in which there is a subtle combination of mutual respect and support. The combination of these three elements forms a unique contribution to the ongoing debate over the most satisfactory method of reconciling liberal democracy and bureaucratic administration within the framework of parliamentary government. Sommaire: Les idées de R. MacGregor Dawson à propos du rôle de la Fonction publique dans une démocratie libérale caractérisent particulièrement bien sa pensée. La façon dont il aborde la question constitue une théorie particulière que I'on pour-rait appeler Iibéralisme administratif. Sa théorie, qu'il faut construire à partir de divers textes, se compose de trois volets liés les uns aux autres. Tout d'abord, la Fonction publique doit être réformée pour se fonder davantage sur le mérite. Deuxièmement, la volonté d'octroyer à la Fonction publique une “indépendance officielle” est indispensable. Enfin, il doit exister entre le Ministre et ses représentants officiels une relation toute spéciale, fondée sur un mélange subtil de respect et de soutien mutuel. L'association de ces trois éléments apporte une contribution unique au débat toujours présent concernant la méthode la plus satisfaisante pour concilier démocratie libérale et administration bureaucratique dans le cadre de notre régime parlementaire.     

Agenda responsiveness in the European Council: public priorities,policy problems and political attention

The existence of political responsiveness in multi-level systems like the EU remains an open question despite significant recent research on the topic. This article studies whether the European Council responds to the shifting policy priorities of European citizens. More specifically, it explores the synchronic and diachronic associations between what people consider to be the most important problems and the political attention devoted to these issues from 2003 to 2014. The economic crisis after 2008 appears to have made the ranking of public concerns and the European Council agenda more alike. However, a detailed examination of the shifts in prioritisation of single issues over time reveals little evidence for dynamic issue responsiveness. Recently the European Council has paid more attention to the issues that the public considered the most pressing problems but the convergence could possibly be driven by the intensity of the underlying policy problems.     

The relationship between peer victimization,cognitive appraisals,and adjustment: A systematic review

Underpinned by the transactional model of stress (TMS), this systematic review synthesizes research testing the role of primary and secondary appraisals in the relationship between peer victimization and adjustment. A comprehensive literature search was undertaken and 23 articles were included in the review. Primary appraisals of threat and control, but not blame, mediated the relationship between peer victimization and adjustment. Secondary appraisals of self-efficacy and perceived social support were found to mediate and moderate the relationship. The findings of the review highlight the utility of the TMS in developing our understanding of individual differences in the relationship between peer victimization and adjustment. The development of the TMS in a peer victimization context, and future areas of research are discussed.     

GDP Revisions and Updating Statistical Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: Reports from the Statistical Offices in Nigeria,Liberia and Zimbabwe

Abstract

The quality of economic statistics in Africa has been likened to a statistical tragedy. Currently many statistical systems in Africa are being updated. This report from the statistical offices in Nigeria, Liberia and Zimbabwe documents that base year, data and methods used to generate GDP estimates currently date from 1990, 1992 and 1994. There is a growing need for macroeconomic statistics, but a rebasing of GDP estimates is costly and time consuming. The work to update economic statistics in Nigeria and Zimbabwe is still ongoing, while efforts to generate an authoritative estimate of the Liberian economy have proved unsuccessful.     

Exploring the foundational origins of public service motivation through the lens of behavioral genetics

Despite the proliferation of research on public service motivation (PSM), fundamental questions about its origins continue to evade scholars: Is PSM driven by genetics, socialized through experiences, or both? If PSM is socialized, when does socialization occur? Answering these questions is critical for reconciling the state versus trait debate, and for assessing the validity of practical implications prescribed by PSM studies. Utilizing “nature's own experiment,” we adopt a classical twin design with 1035 twin pairs to identify how genetic heritability, a common environment, or unique environment and experiences can explain variation in PSM. Results show that PSM is heavily influenced by individuals' unique environments and experiences; not by genetics. This lends strong evidence to PSM's uniqueness as a motivational construct as related “other-regarding” concepts show sizeable genetic components. Finally, our results corroborate that PSM is a human resource with dynamic properties organizations can cultivate to enhance productivity in public service workforces.     

Manager's matter: news from the laboratory

Advancing Public Management: New Developments in Theory, Methods and Practice. Edited by jeffrey l. brudney, laurence o'toole jr. and hal g. rainey. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press. 2000. Pp. xi, 304. Transforming Government: Lessons from the Reinvention Laboratories. By PATRICIA w. INGRAHAM, JAMES R. THOMPSON and RONALD SANDERS. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. 1998. Pp. xxi, 266. The Stakeholder Society. By bruce ackerman and anne alstott. New Haven: Yale University Press. 1999. Pp. xi, 296.     

The Danish ‘Competition State’: Still Along the Third Way?

This brief review article addresses the question of whether the so-called “competition state” was “abandoned” during the recent Danish election of 2019, which brought the Social Democrats back in government under the leadership of Mette Frederiksen. During the prior Social Democratic government of 2011-2015, led by Helle Thorning-Schmitt, this concept was introduced as a highly controversial policy concept and came to summarize the government’s program of economic reforms and recovery. The concept was subsequently strongly criticized in broader public political discourse as well as by the Social Democratic party and Mette Frederiksen herself. It is thus worth considering, whether the competition state reform program has been “buried” with the recent election, as this might imply a more radical break or discontinuity away from the “third way” competition state reform program embarked upon by most western European Social democrats since the 1990’s. This article will, first, briefly review the public discussion about the competition state in Denmark, before it, second, will recapitulate the academic debate about the competition state and clarify the concept. Third, it will review central tenets of the economic policy of the Thorning-Schmitt government of 2011-2015, as well as, fourth, the announced reform program of the new Social Democratic government. Finally the article will contrast and compare the two programs, and conclude that the “competition state” to a large extent endured the election of 2019, even if the Frederiksen government seems to lead the Danish competition state into reform trajectory towards increasing dis-universalization of social security and pensions.     

Social Constructionism and Criminology: Traditions,Problems and Possibilities

Over the last twenty years, the prison system, border controls, crime prevention programmes, anti‐terror measures and private security companies have expanded within Europe. This article discusses some of the implications. It will be argued that we are witnessing a paradigmatic shift in the manner in which state‐sanctioned force is employed. The distinction between what is criminal, to be dealt with by the justice system, and what creates a ‘perception of security’—formerly to be dealt with by social policy—is being eroded at both macro‐ (‘war on terror’) and micro‐ (‘public order’) levels. The rule of law is giving way to a security mentality, where force is employed on the basis of risk assessments. Social problems are re‐interpreted as security threats, and met with measures recreating the original threats. This gives the policy field a distinctive rationality of its own.     

Teaching science and technology PhD students in entrepreneurship-potential learning opportunities and outcomes

The Journal of Technology Transfer - Whilst doctoral students comprise a large group of researchers at a university and will potentially play important roles in the utilization and transfer of...