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Temporary partisans, tagged officers or impartial professionals: Moving between ministerial offices and departments
Author(s) -
Maley Maria
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
public administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.313
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1467-9299
pISSN - 0033-3298
DOI - 10.1111/padm.12290
Subject(s) - impartiality , competence (human resources) , politics , public administration , public service , public relations , political science , norm (philosophy) , government (linguistics) , sociology , law , management , economics , linguistics , philosophy
There are increasing concerns that the line between political and public service roles is becoming blurred, and that political advisers may be politicizing the work of public servants. Underlying this is the fundamental value conflict between responsiveness and impartiality and the challenge of balancing neutral competence and responsive competence in government. In Australia and Canada the norm of impartiality is challenged by the movement of staff between partisan ministers' offices and the public service. This is a case study comparison of how the risks posed by these transitions are managed through institutional rules and practices. This study of rule‐building by two countries with similar political institutions and shared traditions demonstrates the critical role played by rules which regulate activity between two organizations with opposed values. It finds differences of approach and attention in Canada and Australia and provides a lens through which to explore the contested boundaries of impartiality.