Political Failure, Citizen Feedback, and Representative Bureaucracy: The Interplay of Politics, Public Management and Governance

Abstract

This article proposes that two major trends – the failure of political institutions and the globalization of minority rights – present major challenges for public administration. These changes mean that public administrators must now perform roles that were previously the realm of elected officials in relation to the broader public. Specific concerns related to the public’s ability to evaluate programs and the enhanced role and limits on representative bureaucracy are discussed.

Critical thoughts about critical mass in representative bureaucracy: A theoretical exploration and empirical illustration

“…In addition to representative bureaucracy, the theory presented here using the concept of critical mass in representative bureaucracy could also inform the broader study of organizations because it links administrative behavior to the organizational context; a linkage that is highly consistent with contingency theory approaches to organizational behavior. These broader ties to organization theory can also help us better understand how representation can be instrumental for the organization and improve efficiency and effectiveness (see Meier, 2020, pp. 11–14).…”