Dynamics Of Public Bureaucracy

This book assesses the influence of bureaucracy in American politics, asking how government agencies and Congress come to know about, and understand, important policy problems confronting citizens and government officials.

Offering readable case studies and well-paired figures and tables (presented in both technical and nontechnical fashion), Bureaucratic Dynamics uses principal-agent theory to explain how the public policy system works.

This book introduces international bureaucracy as a key field of study for public administration and also rediscovers it as an essential ingredient in the study of international organisations. To what extent, how and why do international bureaucracies challenge and supplement the inherent Westphalian intergovernmental order based on territorial sovereignty? To what extent, how and why do international bureaucracies supplement the existing international intergovernmental order with a multi-dimensional international order subjugated by a compound set of decision-making dynamics? International bureaucracies constitute a distinct and increasingly important feature of public administration studies. However, the role of international bureaucracies has been largely neglected in most social science sub-disciplines. This book takes a first step into a third generation of international organisation (IO) studies. It will be of immense value to academics in politics and international relations as well as practitioners in public administration in domestic governments and international organizations.

States at Work explores the mundane practices of state-making in Africa by focussing on the daily functioning of public services and the practices of civil servants.

By examining what these personnel think about politics, the environment, their budgets, and the other institutions and agencies with which they interact, this work illuminates the actions of the bureaucracy and gives it a human face."--Jacket.

The first edition of Bureaucratic Politics and Foreign Policy is one of the most successful Brookings titles of all time. This thoroughly revised version updates that classic analysis of the role played by the federal bureaucracy—civilian career officials, political appointees, and military officers—and Congress in formulating U.S. national security policy, illustrating how policy decisions are actually made. Government agencies, departments, and individuals all have certain interests to preserve and promote. Those priorities, and the conflicts they sometimes spark, heavily influence the formulation and implementation of foreign policy. A decision that looks like an orchestrated attempt to influence another country may in fact represent a shaky compromise between rival elements within the U.S. government. The authors provide numerous examples of bureaucratic maneuvering and reveal how they have influenced our international relations. The revised edition includes new examples of bureaucratic politics from the past three decades, from Jimmy Carter's view of the State Department to conflicts between George W. Bush and the bureaucracy regarding Iraq. The second edition also includes a new analysis of Congress's role in the politics of foreign policymaking.

First Published in 1993. Carefully using four case studies, Johnson explores relationships between federal agencies and the legislators most responsible for their oversight. This text adds to our understanding of what are often called subgovernments.