Political control or legitimacy deficit? Bureaucracies' symbolic responses to bottom-up public pressures

Saar Alon Barkat, Sharon Gilad

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

A large body of public administration literature focuses on the response of bureaucracies – whether government ministries or separate agencies – to political signalling, pressure and control. Building on principal–agent theory, this literature demonstrates politicians’ direct and indirect control over bureaucratic behaviour (for example, Moe, 1984; Wood and Waterman, 1991; Epstein and O’Halloran, 1999; Huber et al, 2001; West and Raso, 2013). Yet public bureaucracies are exposed not only to top-down political control, but also, increasingly, to direct bottom-up public pressure in the form of public opinion shifts and social protest.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationMedia and governance:
Subtitle of host publicationExploring the role of news media in complex systems of governance.
Editors Thomas Schillemans, Jon Pierre
Place of PublicationBristol
PublisherBristol University Press
Pages53-76
Number of pages24
ISBN (Print)978-1447341437
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019

Publication series

NameNew Perspectives in Policy and Politics

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