Inside BureaucracyBureaus are among the most important institutions in every part of the world. Not only do they provide employment for a very significant fraction of the world's population, but they also make critical decisions that shape the economic, educational, political, social, moral, and even religious lives of nearly everyone on earth. This book develops a useful theory of bureaucratic decision making. The theory will enable analysts to predict at least some aspects of bureau behavior accurately, and to incorporate bureaus into a more generalized theory of social decision making--particularly one relevant to democracies. It would be impossible to solve all the problems involved in this immense and complex field; however, this book will solve many, and create a framework upon which solutions to still more may be built by other theorists. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The Life Cycle of Bureaus | 5 |
What Are Bureaus and Who Are Bureaucrats? | 24 |
Copyright | |
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actions activities advocates agencies alternatives analysis basic become benefits biases budget bureau behavior bureau members bureau's ideology bureaucratic bureaus tend carry cause Chapter cials climbers communications conflict conservers coordination costs create decisionmaking decisions develop dominated economic effects environment evaluation example expand external given bureau goal consensus Gordon Tullock greater growth H. A. Simon Hence hierarchy important incentive increase individual indoctrination influence innovation interests internal involved large organizations major markets Max Weber ment monitoring normally Northcote Parkinson operating bureaus organizational ossification output Parkinson's Law performance gap personnel policy space political position power setting pressure promotion proportion quid pro quo RAND Corporation recruitment reduce relationships relatively response result role rules search agency self-interest shift shrinking violet significant social agents social functions society specific staff structure subordinates sunk costs superiors superman theory tion top-level officials usually utility income zealots