Party Patronage in Denmark: The Merit State with Politics ‘On the Side’

Bischoff, Carina Saxlund

doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199599370.003.0006

Cited by 2 publications

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“…Moreover, Danish government ministers have broad powers to organize and interfere in work within their portfolios, as long as they respect the legal framework (e.g., nondiscrimination acts that protect meritocratic hiring practices). The extensive use of flexible contracts in the state administration makes it relatively easy to dismiss or transfer employees at all levels if they do not live up to performance expectations (see Bischoff, 2011). The Danish civil service has therefore been described as a case of “Professional politicization” (Peters & Pierre, 2004) where the merit‐based civil service has been adapted “in a way that ensures a high degree of political responsiveness” (J. G. Christensen et al, 2014, p. 2016).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Danish civil service has therefore been described as a case of "Professional politicization" (Peters & Pierre, 2004) where the merit-based civil service has been adapted "in a way that ensures a high degree of political responsiveness" (J. G. Christensen et al, 2014Christensen et al, , p. 2016. In fact, the ability to "think politically" and provide politicaltactical advice is considered a key qualification for those seeking high-ranking positions in the civil service (Bischoff, 2011;Jørgensen & Rutgers, 2014).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Between a rock and a hard place: Balancing the duties of political responsiveness and legality in the civil service

Bischoff

2022

Public Administration

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Civil servants play a key role in upholding the core democratic principles of majority rule and legality in daily government operations. Yet we know little about how civil servants balance these principles in practice—or why. This study asks and answers these questions by qualitatively and quantitatively analyzing Danish civil servants' responses to survey questions on dilemmas that force them to choose between their duty to be responsive to government and their duty to uphold the law. To explain their choices, the analysis draws on rational and sociological institutional theories of bureaucratic behavior. The results suggest that factors related to both rational self‐interest and socialization explain that as many as one in four civil servants choose responsiveness over legality. Formal organizational roles also predict their behavior.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Between a rock and a hard place: Balancing the duties of political responsiveness and legality in the civil service

Bischoff

2022

Public Administration

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Obeying Ministers or Laws? A Study of Danish Civil Servants' Responses to Illegal Requests

Bischoff

2018

SJPA

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It is part of a civil servants job description to be responsive to its political leadership as well as to uphold legal norms. But what happens when the two types of demands conflict? When legal norms stipulate one thing, but political leaders want another. In modern de- mocracies, observing the rule of law is no less important than holding elections. Respect for legal norms by those who exercise government authority is widely regarded as the cornerstone of democracy and good governance. The question is what role the bureaucra- cy plays when it comes to defending legal norms vis-à-vis its political leaders. This article investigates this question theoretically as well as empirically. First by exploring the nor- mative and positive theoretical issues involved, and secondly by examining the institu- tional context and behavior of the civil service in the Danish state administration. The analysis draws on survey data where civil servants have been asked to respond to fictive scenarios that present a conflict between obedience to the minister and observing the law. A substantial share of the civil servants – up to 1⁄4 - choose to compromise legal obliga- tions to comply with Ministerial requests. The findings suggest that educational back- ground, position in the hierarchy, and work place and function matters. Lawyers, leaders, those who work in departments – as opposed to agencies – are thus less likely to show willingness to compromise their legal obligations than their colleagues are.

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Party Patronage in Denmark: The Merit State with Politics ‘On the Side’

Cited by 2 publications

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Between a rock and a hard place: Balancing the duties of political responsiveness and legality in the civil service

Between a rock and a hard place: Balancing the duties of political responsiveness and legality in the civil service

Obeying Ministers or Laws? A Study of Danish Civil Servants' Responses to Illegal Requests

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