The traditional, public administration model

Ministers decide issues in the light of advice from civil servants (‘civil servants advise, minister decide’) Officials have a passive, neutral role, loyally setting out to serve their ministers’ wishes and implement the decisions made Reinforced by the convention of IMR, in which ministers have the lead role. They take the blame or praise for what has been done, for good or for ill

The adversarial model

Adopted in the past especially by critics on the Left Concentrates on the social background and

attitudes of powerful civil servants They use their establishment connections and

cunning to frustrate left-wing minsters who want to implement policies to change the status quo

Sees relationship as a power struggle between ministers and officials with different sets of agendas

‘Yes, Minister Syndrome’

The Whitehall community model

First developed in the US, sees minister/official relationship as being more of an alliance of mutual interest Civil servants favour strong rather than weak ministers – they have a common interest Civil servants have expertise and links to pressure groups, ministers contribute political judgement and argue departments case in Cabinet As all departments must compete with each other for funds it is better to cooperate than have conflict Treasury v Health department

The public choice model

Part of the more general New Right model and critique of public sector growth Say bureaucracies are inefficient and bent on empire building Establishment civil servants have a vested interest in the expansion of public services, and ministers connive with them in support of this agenda

Advantages civil servants have over ministers

• Their vast numbers• Their relative permanence• Their experience and expertise• Control of administrative process• Close involvement in national security matters• Their powers of patronage over thousands of

appointments nominally made by the PM• Membership of the EU – increased bureaucracy

Factors in the relationship

• ‘Minister decide, civil servants advise’. Classic statement of the relationship – civil servants being ‘on tap, not on top’

• Ministers are transient. (50 years in the Education department 27 Minister to 10 Permanent Secs.)

• ‘Mandarin Power’ – Expertise, cautious and conservative? Elite background.

• Strong minister will insist on their policy – it is often said that the first 48 hours will reveal whether they will assert their authority or be a pushover.