Transcript Document

Part II: The Structure of
Bureaucracy and the Canadian
Political System
The Political-Bureaucratic Interface Across
Government (Cont’d)
January 19, 2006
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)
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
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
Part II: The Structure of
Bureaucracy and the Canadian
Political System
The Political-Bureaucratic Interface Within
a Department
January 19, 2006
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
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
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
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
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
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)