Political Science Student Association

1. Political Science Student Association • first meeting and elections... • Wednesday, October 4th, 12:30 • PSSA Lounge (HH 342) • more information? • Bevin Harvey • bharvey@uwaterloo.ca

8. Bureaucracy and Democracy September 28th, 2006

9. Liberal Democracy and Bureaucracy • confluence • bureaucracy is good in that it emphasis impartiality (over participation) • dissonance • danger is if bureaucracy becomes too powerful and threatens individual rights • “Big Brother”

10. Elite Democracy and Bureaucracy • confluence • top-down and hierarchical nature of bureaucracy is good • merit principle • effective mechanism to pursue the general welfare • dissonance • danger if bureaucracy becomes too powerful and undermines competition among elected/political elites • e.g. development of a permanent non-elected bureaucratic elite making decisions • ultimately decisions must be ratified by elected elites

11. Majoritarian Democracy and Bureaucracy • confluence • bureaucracy is an effective mechanism to pursue the general welfare • e.g. to put into effect the will of the majority • necessary evil • dissonance • top-down hierarchical nature of bureaucracy is bad • bureaucracy should be responsive (bottom up) • bureaucracy should be respresentative • even if this challenges the merit principle • excessive focus on impartiality (over participation) is bad

12. Main Messages!! • Democracy • there are different models of democracy – NOT one shared vision of democracy • Bureaucracy • in tension with all models of democracy • relationship with democracy is paradoxical (paradox depends on specifical model of democracy) • range • bureaucracy is a good approach to democratic decision-making (elite democracy) • bureaucracy is a necessary evil (majoritarian democracy)

13. Public Administration in Canada... • the structure of the Canadian bureaucracy (and its interface with elected officials) represents a particular response to these various concerns and imperatives!! • What is that response???

14. Part II: The Structure of Bureaucracy and the Canadian Political System The Political-Bureaucratic Interface

15. Cabinet Government • what is it? • collective sharing of executive power • how is the structure of cabinet government determined? • the Prime Minister • who becomes PM? • prerogatives of the Prime Minister (vis-a-vis cabinet) • size and structure of cabinet • departmental organization • cabinet committee structure • appointments to cabinet • cabinet agenda • cabinet decisions

16. Principles/Roles/Actors in Cabinet Government • relationships NOT roles • not generally legally prescribed • considerable room for manoeuvre • organic link between different relationships • nature of any given relationship has implications for the nature of other relationships • change in any one set of relationships implies changes in other sets of relationships • relationships are based on tradition but also on continuing acceptance of the obligations/rights inherent in them • implicit bargains

17. Centralized Accountability: Collective Ministerial Responsibility • what is “responsible government”? • the executive must maintain the confidence of Parliament • what is collective ministerial responsibility? • all ministers must resign if the cabinet loses the confidence of Parliament • what constitutes having the confidence of Parliament? • what pre-conditions would the operation of collective cabinet ministerial responsibility require?

18. Centralized Accountability: Collective Ministerial Responsibility • requirements (enforced by PM) • cabinet solidarity • cabinet secrecy • cabinet documents exempt from Freedom of Information • the problem of leaks • why would cabinet ministers agree? • price of being in cabinet • collective self-interest

19. Diffuse Accountability: Individual Ministerial Responsibility • what is individual ministerial responsibility? • do ministers typically resign for errors committed in their department? • no...not if they can help it!! • why not? • minister is answerable publicly (to parliament) for the actions of their department • regardless of whether the minister was in charge at the time a problem occurred • ministers are responsible for correcting problems within their department

20. Diffuse Accountability: Individual Ministerial Responsibility • why would individuals agree to accept this role? • price for exercising power

21. Centralized Accountability (Collective Ministerial Responsibility) and Diffuse Accountability (Individual Ministerial Responsibility) • the individual minister and cabinet • collective vs. individual ministerial paradox • ministers interest in maximizing their own latitude from cabinet control • ministers interested in maximizing cabinet’s ability to direct other ministries • the conundrum of cabinet solidarity/cabinet secrecy and individual ministerial responsibility • cabinet/departmental link • minister represents department in cabinet • minister represents cabinet to the department

22. The Structure of Government: Centralized and Diffuse Accountability • Prime Ministerial/Cabinet government is an attempt to ensure political control... • from the centre of government (Prime Minister and Cabinet) • AND over individual departments (Ministers) • structure of government is an attempt to balance between collective ministerial responsibility (centralized accountability) and individual ministerial responsibility (diffuse accountability)

23. Centralized Accountability (Collective Ministerial Responsibility) and Diffuse Accountability (Individual Ministerial Responsibility) • the individual minister and cabinet • collective vs. individual ministerial paradox • ministers interest in maximizing their own latitude from cabinet control • ministers interested in maximizing cabinet’s ability to direct other ministries • the conundrum of cabinet solidarity/cabinet secrecy and individual ministerial responsibility

24. The Structure of Government: The Balance of Centralized and Diffuse Accountability • cabinet structure and operation • size • cabinet committees • importance and number • balance between central agencies and line departments • line departments – e.g. HRSDC, DFO, Agriculture • central agencies – PCO, PMO, Finance, Treasury Board • role of the Deputy Minister • technically accountable to minister • appointed by PM • receives direction from PCO

25. The Political-Bureaucratic Interface Within a Department • ministerial accountability -- minister is answerable publicly (to parliament) for the actions of their department • regardless of whether the minister was in charge at the time a problem occurred • ministers are responsible for correcting problems within their department • under what conditions would individuals agree to accept this role? • price for exercising power • what would they demand in return

26. Individual Ministerial Responsibility – Shaping the Political/Bureaucratic Relationship • the individual minister demands from their senior bureaucrats... • loyalty in service • honesty in advice • refrain from public comment = public service neutrality

27. Individual Ministerial Responsibility – Shaping the Political/Bureaucratic Relationship • the senior bureaucrats agree to public service neutrality in exchange for... • official anonymity • promotion based on merit • security of tenure

28. Roles and Responsibilities of Ministers and Deputy Ministers • the politics-administration dichotomy • policy – what should be done • administration – how it should be done • does this distinction seem workable? • this is the ideal to strive toward even if impossible to achieve • basic distinction • Minister predominates in policy • Deputy Minister predominates in administration

29. Roles and Responsibilities of Ministers and Deputy Ministers • the role of the Minister • cabinet/departmental link • minister represents department in cabinet (advocate) • minister represents cabinet to the department • approves/initiates broad policy decisions • answers publicly for the actions of the department

30. Roles and Responsibilities of Ministers and Deputy Ministers • the role of the Deputy Minister • administration • staffing • financial control • policy -- presenting policy options to the Minister in response to ministerial requests • accountability – investigating and correcting problems at the behest of the Minister (with Minister reporting publicly)