Role of Bureaucracy in

Policy / Decision Making

Sajjad Ahmed

Outline
 Overview of Bureaucracy
 Role of Bureaucracy in Policy Decision Making
 Bureaucratic Power & its control
 What is Bureaucracy
 A bureaucracy is ‘a body of non-elective government
officials’ and or ‘an administrative policy-making
group’
 According to the bureaucratic theory of Max Weber,

“bureaucracy is the basis for the systematic formation

of any organization and is designed to ensure
efficiency and economic effectiveness. It is an ideal
model for management to bring an organization's
power structure into focus.”
 Bureaucracy
Max Weber’s Bureaucratic Form – 6 Major Characteristics

 A formal hierarchical structure

 Rules-based Management
 Functional Specialty organization
 Up-focused (to serve stakeholders)
or In-focused Mission (to serve org.)
 Impersonal relationships
 Employment-based on Technical
Qualifications
 State

Legislature Executive Judiciary

Temporary
Principal Federal Cabinet
Executives
(Ministers)

Agent Bureaucracy/
Secretary Permanent
Executives
 Role of Bureaucracy
Implement/execute law & Policy

1. Administration Administering the govt. business

Politician: Policy Making Role

Bureaucrats: Implementing Policy

Chief source of policy information &

advice available to govt/politicians

2. Policy Advice having contact with politicians and with

middle/junior civil servants

offer advice to politicians who are

responsible for policy making
No clear distinction b/w policy making
& policy advice
 Role of Bureaucracy
Contact interest groups

3. Articulating Through task of policy

Interests implementation/advice/formulation

Stability & continuity within political

4. Political system
stability
Permanent & professional public servants

Continuity has disadvantages like

corruption, poverty
Iron triangle
 Bureaucratic Power
 They have access to information & control their
political bosses
 Policy options selected/evaluated/presented in a way
to achieve desired decisions
 Politicians are outnumbered by bureaucrats
 They decide what ministers know & what they do
 Local govt. system failure
 CDA
 How to control bureaucrats
1. Accountability

2. De-politicization

3. Counter bureaucracies
the idea was developed in USA in 1939
use of political advisors or outsiders