PHYSICS 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: New Public Management, Homo Economicus
Document Summary
Important for 2 reasons: affects the degree to which public accountability + political control can be achieved over the bureaucracy. Theories of decision-making: rational actor models, emphasize human rationality, based on economic theories derived form utilitarianism (humans try to maximixe pleasure and minimize pain, counted in utility) Bureaucracies are accountable to: political executive, overall responsibility for government administration, legislative, oversight helps ensuring the political accountability, effective legislative control supply of money. Judicial scrutiny of bureaucracy: administrative courts and tribunals resolve conflict between government bureaucracy and citizens, to public, formal > ombudsmand appointed to safeguard citizens rights and investigate allegations of maladministration. Informal > media and well-organizes groups, can damage status by exposure of scandals. Power: seen as fourth branch of government", concern about power, marxist > class interest operate through bureaucracy, new right > self-interested officials favour growth of state"s power (inclined to resist neoliberal/free market policies)
