Theoretical perspectives on bureaucrats : a quest for democratic agents

Železnik, Ana (author), Fink-Hafner, Danica (author)

While the relationship between bureaucracy and democracy has gained attention in historical cycles, the literature on the roles of bureaucrats in relation to democracy has become increasingly fragmented. Drawing on comparisons among public administration theory, as well as participatory, deliberative, and collaborative democracy, this article provides typologies that reflect the historical multiplication of the theoretically determined roles and characteristics of bureaucracy that contribute to democracy. This comparative analysis has demonstrated a common democratic trend among the four schools in adding stresses on bureaucrats’ autonomy, morality, publicity, and direct connection to citizens, with a constant coexistence of rational and managerial elements.

• Language: English
• Keywords: participative democracy, deliberative democracy, collaborative democracy, bureaucrats, public administration
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: Str. 1432-1456
• Numbering: Vol. 55, iss. 7
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-145169
• UDC: 35:005.731:321.7
• ISSN on article: 0095-3997
• DOI: 10.1177/00953997231165998
• COBISS.SI-ID: 148491779
• Publication date in RUL: 12.04.2023

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Administration & society
• Shortened title: Adm. soc.
• Publisher: SAGE
• ISSN: 0095-3997
• COBISS.SI-ID: 24882432

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
• Description: A creative commons license that bans commercial use, but the users don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: javna uprava, birokracija, demokracija

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P5-0136
• Name: Politološke raziskave