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The Political and Bureaucratic Executive in Canada

The Political and Bureaucratic Executive in Canada . Pols 341 Canadian Public Administration Dr. Douglas Brown January 2013. Readings in Johnston, Thinking Government. Chap 3 – Institutions of Governance PM, cabinet, department structure Crown agencies, regulatory agencies

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The Political and Bureaucratic Executive in Canada

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  1. The Political and Bureaucratic Executive in Canada Pols 341 Canadian Public Administration Dr. Douglas Brown January 2013

  2. Readings in Johnston, Thinking Government • Chap 3 – Institutions of Governance • PM, cabinet, department structure • Crown agencies, regulatory agencies • Chap 4 – Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Cabinet Decision-Making Systems • Min/DM relations, role of central agencies • Differences in governance style and organization:-- Chrétien, Martin and Harper

  3. Political and Bureaucratic Executives • Key functions: • PM, Cabinet, Bureaucracy • Key organizational forms • Comparing political and bureaucratic roles

  4. Functions of the PM • Leader of the governing party • Selecting and keeping the cabinet • Directing and shaping the public service • Making appointments • Leading the parliamentary caucus, directing government business in Parliament • Chief communicator for the government

  5. Functions of Cabinet • Individual ministerial responsibility (for each full portfolio, but also “junior” ministers have a role) • Collective ministerial responsibility (all for one; one for all) • Consensus decision-making • Broader representative roles (province, language, gender, ethnicity, occupational background etc.)

  6. Work of a Political Executive (Minister) Constituency work Cabinet and caucus meetings Question Period Media relations Interest groups Meetings with Deputy and senior staff Getting re-elected is job 1

  7. Functions of the Bureaucratic Executives • Administration of government policies • Implementation of legislation and regulations • Management of public funds • …While being Professional, non-partisan, career-oriented • Direct command and control through hierarchical organizational • “permanent custodians of the permanent problems”

  8. Work of a Bureaucratic Executive (Deputy Minister) Advice to, management of, the Minister Advice to, and reporting to, Prime Minister, Clerk (PCO), Treasury Board, etc. Relations with key stakeholders Direction/ collaboration with senior staff on policy options, program options, implementation, daily management Leadership to Department as a whole

  9. Forms of Bureaucratic organization • Direct departmental organization under ministerial portfolios • Agriculture • Citizenship and Immigration • National Defence/ Veterans Affairs • Central agencies • PCO, PMO • Treasury Board Secretariat, Finance

  10. Other forms • Arm’s length agencies • Crown Corporations (Via Rail, Canada Post) • Regulatory agencies (National Energy Board) • Agents of Parliament (Elections Canada, Auditor General, etc.)

  11. Political vs. Bureaucratic • The roles and careers of elected officials differ from appointed officials • Partisan considerations are not the same as the public interest • Non-elected “Partisans” include: • Party officers • PMO and Ministerial staff • Occasional cross-overs from the bureaucracy

  12. Politics/ Administration Dichotomy • How to distinguish partisanship from public interest? • How to divide policy from administration? • The policy role of the public service: • Defining policy options • Proposing policy solutions, implementation • In practice the distinctions blur, but still vital to maintain.

  13. Political Neutrality • Both political and bureaucratic executives have a policy role • Merit principle is the rule • Public servants have political rights • Public service no place for personal views • Bureaucrats are normally anonymous • Loyalty to the Government is essential

  14. The Special Obligations of the Public Service(Johnson) • To deal with people as citizens • To respect the rights of citizens • To treat all citizens equally • To professionally implement and administer public policy • To serve the political executive in developing public policy • To uphold the law • To serve and promote the best interests and traditions of the public service • To serve and promote the public interest

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