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Cited by 210Corruption and Economic DevelopmentPublic Administration and GovernancePublic Policy and Administration Research

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Organizing Leviathan: Politicians, Bureaucrats, and the Making of Good Government

Dahlström, Carl, Lapuente, Victor·2017·Cambridge University Press eBooks
DOI 10.1017/9781316822869
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Abstract

Why are some countries less corrupt and better governed than others? Challenging conventional explanations on the remarkable differences in quality of government worldwide, this book argues that the organization of bureaucracy is an often overlooked but critical factor. Countries where merit-recruited employees occupy public bureaucracies perform better than those where public employees owe their post to political connections. The book provides a coherent theory of why, and ample evidence showing that meritocratic bureaucracies are conducive to lower levels of corruption, higher government effectiveness, and more flexibility to adopt modernizing reforms. Data comes from both a novel dataset on the bureaucratic structures of over 100 countries as well as from narratives of particular countries, with a special focus on the relationship between politicians and bureaucrats in Spain and Sweden. A notable contribution to the literature in comparative politics and public policy on good governance, and to corruption studies more widely.

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Metadata

Authors
Dahlström, C., & Lapuente, V.
Affiliations
University of Gothenburg (SE)
ORCID
Dahlström, Carl
Venue
Cambridge University Press eBooks
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Published
2017-06-15
DOI
10.1017/9781316822869
OpenAlex
W4248557076
Cited by
210
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 30 · 2025: 39 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 2
FWCI
13.81
Type
book
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified)
Locations
Cambridge University Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Corruption and Economic Development
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Public Administration and Governance
  • Social Sciences › Public Administration › Public Policy and Administration Research
Keywords
meritocracy, political connections, corruption, government effectiveness, bureaucratic modernization, civil service recruitment, good governance, comparative bureaucracy, Spain, Sweden

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