The DOI matches its Crossref record.
Bureaucrats and Politicians in Western Democracies
Abstract
In uneasy partnership at the helm of the modern state stand elected party politicians and professional bureaucrats. This book is the first comprehensive comparison of these two powerful elites. In seven countries--the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, and the Netherlands--researchers questioned 700 bureaucrats and 6OO politicians in an effort to understand how their aims, attitudes, and ambitions differ within cultural settings. One of the authors' most significant findings is that the worlds of these two elites overlap much more in the United States than in Europe. But throughout the West bureaucrats and politicians each wear special blinders and each have special virtues. In a well-ordered polity, the authors conclude, politicians articulate society's dreams and bureaucrats bring them gingerly to earth
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“This position will allow them to play the role envisaged by Aberbach et al. ' s (1981) Image III in which civil servants ' role is to maintain equilibrium between societal interests on the one hand and politicians on the other hand.”
From The Guardian State: Strengthening the public service against democratic backsliding (2024) · cites this paper as Aberbach et al.'s (1981)
Citations
Cites
Still being checked.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 301–400 of 1,000
Maranto, R., & Hult, K. M. (2004) · The American Review of Public Administration · doi:10.1177/0275074004263352 · Cited by 23
Ban, C., & Ingraham, P. W. (1990) · Administration & Society · doi:10.1177/009539979002200106 · Cited by 23
The transformation of Russia: The role of the political Élite
Lane, D. (1996) · Europe Asia Studies · doi:10.1080/09668139608412366 · Cited by 23
Inside regulatory bureaucracy: When Europe hits home in pharmaceuticals and chemicals
Ruffing, E. (2015) · Public Policy and Administration · doi:10.1177/0952076715616999 · Cited by 22
Chatelain-Ponroy, S., Mignot-Gerard, S., Musselin, C., & Sponem, S. (2013) · Politiques et management public · doi:10.3166/pmp.30.495-518 · Cited by 22
Boucher, M., & Cooper, C. A. (2019) · Political Studies Review · doi:10.1177/1478929919847132 · Cited by 23
COMPARATIVE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN BRITAIN
Page, E. C. (1995) · Public Administration · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9299.1995.tb00820.x · Cited by 22
Quality Management in Public-Sector Organizations: Evidence from Six EU Countries
Wynen, J., Verhoest, K., & Demuzere, S. (2015) · International Journal of Public Administration · doi:10.1080/01900692.2014.1003268 · Cited by 22
Ribbhagen, C. (2010) · Public Policy and Administration · doi:10.1177/0952076709357979 · Cited by 22
Bureaucratic Links between Administration and Politics
Ríggs, F. W. (2009) · CRC Press eBooks · doi:10.1201/noe0824723699-10 · Cited by 22
Bes, B. J. (2016) · Comparative European Politics · doi:10.1057/s41295-016-0003-8 · Cited by 21
Wong, W. (2021) · Journal of Asian Public Policy · doi:10.1080/17516234.2021.1894314 · Cited by 21
Public policy dilemma—gender equality mainstreaming in UK policy formulation
Johnston, K. (2009) · Public Money & Management · doi:10.1080/09540960802617350 · Cited by 21
Exploring the Determinants of the Entry and Exit of Ministers in K orea: 1980–2008
Hahm, S. D., Jung, K., & Lee, S. Y. (2012) · Governance · doi:10.1111/gove.12001 · Cited by 21
Towards More Open Democracies: The Expansion of Freedom of Information Laws
Cain, B. E., Egan, P. J., & Fabbrini, S. (2003) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/0199264996.003.0006 · Cited by 21
The Age of Administrative Reforms
Cassese, S. (2003) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/0199250154.003.0008 · Cited by 21
What Does it Mean to be Part of the Elite?
Mangset, M. (2015) · Comparative Sociology · doi:10.1163/15691330-12341343 · Cited by 21
Public Interest Groups in France and the United States
Baumgartner, F. R. (1996) · Governance · doi:10.1111/j.1468-0491.1996.tb00231.x · Cited by 21
Party Selectorates in Australia, Britain and Canada: Prolegomena for Research in the 1990s
Norris, P., Carty, R. K., Erickson, L., Lovenduski, J., & Simms, M. (1990) · The Journal of Commonwealth & Comparative Politics · doi:10.1080/14662049008447589 · Cited by 21
Boon, J., Wynen, J., & Callens, C. (2021) · International Review of Administrative Sciences · doi:10.1177/00208523211043704 · Cited by 20
Mayors and Local Administrators: A Puzzling Relationship
Alba, C. R., & Navarro, C. (2007) · VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-531-90005-6_13 · Cited by 20
Swedish Bureaucracy in an Era of Change
Ehn, P., Isberg, M., Linde, C., & Wallin, G. (2003) · Governance · doi:10.1111/1468-0491.00223 · Cited by 20
Andeweg, R. B. (2003) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/0199250154.003.0003 · Cited by 20
Page, E. C., & Wright, V. (1999) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/0198294468.003.0001 · Cited by 20
Tsoukalis, L. (2003) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/0199250154.003.0019 · Cited by 20
Hustedt, T., & Seyfried, M. (2017) · JCMS Journal of Common Market Studies · doi:10.1111/jcms.12605 · Cited by 19
La fabrique des cadres intermédiaires de la fonction publique
Quéré, O. (2015) · Gouvernement et action publique · doi:10.3917/gap.154.0033 · Cited by 19
Ebinger, F., Veit, S., & Strobel, B. (2021) · International Journal of Public Administration · doi:10.1080/01900692.2021.1945623 · Cited by 19
Murdoch, Z., Trondal, J., & Gänzle, S. (2013) · Public Administration · doi:10.1111/padm.12037 · Cited by 19
Zarifa, D., & Davies, S. (2018) · Sociological Forum · doi:10.1111/socf.12467 · Cited by 19
Rethinking Loyalty and Competence in Presidential Appointments
Waterman, R. W., & Ouyang, Y. (2020) · Public Administration Review · doi:10.1111/puar.13212 · Cited by 19
Politics and Administration in Germany
Jann, W., & Veit, S. (2021) · Governance and public management · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-53697-8_10 · Cited by 19
Wong, W., & Wu, A. M. (2021) · Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis Research and Practice · doi:10.1080/13876988.2021.1978819 · Cited by 19
The pursuit of political will: politicians' motivation and health promotion
Zalmanovitch, Y., & Cohen, N. (2013) · The International Journal of Health Planning and Management · doi:10.1002/hpm.2203 · Cited by 19
Howlett, M. P. (1994) · Canadian Journal of Political Science · doi:10.1017/s0008423900006235 · Cited by 19
The Primacy of Experts? Non-partisan Ministers in Portuguese Democracy
Pinto, A. C., & de Almeida, P. T. (2017) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-62313-9_5 · Cited by 19
Where Comparative Public Administration and Comparative Policy Studies Meet
de Walle, S. V., & Brans, M. (2018) · Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis Research and Practice · doi:10.1080/13876988.2017.1411006 · Cited by 19
Grøn, C. H., & Salomonsen, H. H. (2018) · Administration & Society · doi:10.1177/0095399718791541 · Cited by 19
Elite Beliefs and the Theory of Democratic Elitism
Peffley, M., & Rohrschneider, R. (2009) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199270125.003.0004 · Cited by 19
Does Governance Matter — And If So, How? Process, Performance, and Outcomes
Aberbach, J. D., & Rockman, B. A. (1992) · Governance · doi:10.1111/j.1468-0491.1992.tb00033.x · Cited by 19
Self-citationDie ostdeutschen Kommunen: Organisation, Personal, Orientierungs- und Einstellungsmuster im Wandel
Wollmann, H., & Berg, F. (1994) · VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-663-11097-2_6 · Cited by 19
Christensen, T., & Lægreid, P. (2022) · Public Organization Review · doi:10.1007/s11115-022-00632-x · Cited by 19
A Study of the Functions of Political Appointees from a Comparative Perspective
Makita, J. (2021) · Asian Journal of Comparative Politics · doi:10.1177/20578911211036943 · Cited by 18
Charismatic Leadership and Cultural Democracy
Portis, E. (1987) · The Review of Politics · doi:10.1017/s0034670500033805 · Cited by 10
Müller, W. C. (2007) · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · doi:10.1057/9780230288768_3 · Cited by 18
General Trends and Causes of High Compensation of Government Managers in the OECD Countries
Benati, I., & Coccia, M. (2017) · International Journal of Public Administration · doi:10.1080/01900692.2017.1318399 · Cited by 18
Delivering on Environmental Justice? U.S. State Implementation of the Justice40 Initiative
Conley, S., Konisky, D. M., & Mullin, M. (2023) · Publius The Journal of Federalism · doi:10.1093/publius/pjad018 · Cited by 18
Des « long timers » au sommet de l'État Américain
Darviche, M.-S., Genieys, W., Hoeffler, C., & Joana, J. (2013) · Gouvernement et action publique · doi:10.3917/gap.131.0007 · Cited by 18
Lee, J. (2012) · The American Review of Public Administration · doi:10.1177/0275074012455092 · Cited by 19
African-Americans in Executive Branch Agencies
Page, P. (1994) · Review of Public Personnel Administration · doi:10.1177/0734371x9401400103 · Cited by 18
Elite foundations of European integration: a causal analysis
Best, H. (2012) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199602315.003.0010 · Cited by 18
Cohen, N., & Naor, M. (2017) · Policy and Society · doi:10.1080/14494035.2017.1369678 · Cited by 18
Historical Legacies and Dynamics of Institutional Change in Civil Service Systems
Bezes, P., & Lodge, M. C. (2007) · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · doi:10.1057/9780230593084_8 · Cited by 18
Howlett, M. P. (2000) · Opinião Pública · doi:10.1590/s0104-62762000000200001 · Cited by 18
Adamolekun, L. (2002) · International Review of Administrative Sciences · doi:10.1177/0020852302683005 · Cited by 18
Hulst, R., Mafuru, W., & Mpenzi, D. (2015) · Public Administration and Development · doi:10.1002/pad.1743 · Cited by 18
Fiscal Decentralization, Budgetary Transparency, and Local Government Size in China
Zhang, S. (2016) · Emerging Markets Finance and Trade · doi:10.1080/1540496x.2016.1142213 · Cited by 18
Surveying and Observing Political Elites
Teruel, J. R., & Daloz, J. (2017) · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · doi:10.1057/978-1-137-51904-7_9 · Cited by 19
Lindermüller, D., Sohn, M., & Hirsch, B. (2020) · International Public Management Journal · doi:10.1080/10967494.2020.1799888 · Cited by 18
Elites and the Diffusion of Foreign Models in Russia
Rivera, S. W. (2004) · Political Studies · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9248.2004.00463.x · Cited by 18
Smith, G. (2003) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/0199250154.003.0011 · Cited by 18
von Beyme, K. (1999) · VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-322-92497-1_9 · Cited by 18
Steunenberg, B., & Voermans, W. J. M. (2008) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.1215542 · Cited by 18
3. Academic Accounts of Policy Experience
Noordegraaf, M. (2011) · Amsterdam University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9789048513086.005 · Cited by 19
Bureaucracy under pressure: Structural integrity and the ethics of democratic administration
Bertelli, A. M., & Falletti, V. (2025) · International Review of Administrative Sciences · doi:10.1177/00208523251406200 · Cited by 17
Noble, G. W. (2016) · Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks · doi:10.1057/978-1-137-59193-7_11 · Cited by 17
IOs’ selective adoption of NGO information: Evidence from the Universal Periodic Review
Nie, M. (2022) · The Review of International Organizations · doi:10.1007/s11558-022-09455-3 · Cited by 17
Bischoff, C. S. (2022) · Public Administration · doi:10.1111/padm.12898 · Cited by 17
Kuhlmann, S. (2010) · VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-531-92357-4_6 · Cited by 17
Compagni, A., & Tediosi, F. (2011) · Public Administration · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9299.2011.01965.x · Cited by 17
Corporate management at top level of governments: the Canadian case
Bourgault, J. (2007) · International Review of Administrative Sciences · doi:10.1177/0020852307077974 · Cited by 17
One country, two experiences: administrative reforms in China and Hong Kong
Cheung, A. B. L. (2012) · International Review of Administrative Sciences · doi:10.1177/0020852312438044 · Cited by 17
Organizational culture and career development in the British civil service
Reeder, N. (2020) · Public Money & Management · doi:10.1080/09540962.2020.1754576 · Cited by 17
Carroll, B. W., & Joypaul, S. K. (1993) · International Review of Administrative Sciences · doi:10.1177/002085239305900304 · Cited by 17
Peters, B. G. (2016) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781315714141-10 · Cited by 17
Interventions and Power in Judicial Hierarchies: Appellate Courts in England and the United States
Atkins, B. M. (1990) · Law & Society Review · doi:10.2307/3053787 · Cited by 17
An End to a Consensus on Health Care in the Federal Republic of Germany?
Alt̀enstetter, C. (1987) · Journal of Health Politics Policy and Law · doi:10.1215/03616878-12-3-505 · Cited by 17
Zur Entwicklung der öffentlichen Verwaltung
Jann, W. (1999) · Politische Vierteljahresschrift. Sonderheft · doi:10.1007/978-3-322-80357-3_33 · Cited by 17
Serving Multiple Masters? Public Managers’ Role Perceptions in Participatory Budgeting
Migchelbrink, K., & Van de Walle, S. (2022) · Administration & Society · doi:10.1177/00953997211014476 · Cited by 16
Bureaucratic Resistance in Times of Democratic Backsliding
Guedes-Neto, J. V., & Peters, B. G. (2025) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009437479 · Cited by 18
Trondal, J. (2012) · Revue Internationale des Sciences Administratives · doi:10.3917/risa.783.0453 · Cited by 16
Bresser‐Pereira, L. C. (2004) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/0199261180.003.0006 · Cited by 16
What are the ideas and motivations of bureaucrats within a religiously contested society?
O’Connor, K. (2015) · International Review of Administrative Sciences · doi:10.1177/0020852315574996 · Cited by 16
The Question of Roles and Identities in Public Administration
Poulsen, B. (2007) · Scandinavian Political Studies · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9477.2007.00189.x · Cited by 16
Executive Agencies, Ministers, and Departments
Verschuere, B., & Bach, T. (2011) · Administration & Society · doi:10.1177/0095399711412918 · Cited by 16
Public Employment: Attractiveness, Representativeness, and Performance
Woo, K. H. (2017) · International Journal of Public Administration · doi:10.1080/01900692.2017.1292284 · Cited by 16
Khalil, F., Kim, D., & Lawarree, J. P. (2019) · Journal of Public Economic Theory · doi:10.1111/jpet.12391 · Cited by 16
Bureaucratic Links between Administration and Politics
Ríggs, F. W. (2009) · Public administration and public policy · doi:10.1201/noe0824723699-c5 · Cited by 17
Policy convergence and divergence in Belgium: Education and health care
Rynck, S. D., & Dezeure, K. (2006) · West European Politics · doi:10.1080/01402380600968927 · Cited by 16
Spontaneous Adaptation in Public Management: An Overview
Campbell, C. (2007) · Governance · doi:10.1111/j.1468-0491.2007.00363.x · Cited by 16
Bishin, B. G., Barr, R. R., & Lebo, M. J. (2006) · Comparative Political Studies · doi:10.1177/0010414006287234 · Cited by 16
China's Technocratic Movement and the World Economic Herald
Li, C., & White, L. T. (1991) · Modern China · doi:10.1177/009770049101700302 · Cited by 16
Brans, M., & Steen, T. P. S. (2007) · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · doi:10.1057/9780230288768_4 · Cited by 16
Searching for a Role: The Civil Service in American Democracy
Peters, B. G. (1993) · International Political Science Review · doi:10.1177/019251219301400405 · Cited by 16
Reforming the Administrative State
Ansell, C., & Gingrich, J. R. (2003) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/0199264996.003.0008 · Cited by 16
How Personalist Parties Undermine State Capacity in Democracies
Li, J., & Wright, J. (2023) · Comparative Political Studies · doi:10.1177/00104140231169014 · Cited by 15
Action and Reaction: How Bureaucrats Cope with Different Forms of Political Oppression
Lotta, G., Fernández, M., Pedote, J. P., Guaranha, O. L. C., Silveira, M. C., & de Lima, I. A. (2024) · International series on public policy · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-65707-8_11 · Cited by 15
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat”: Understanding politicization in the populist era
Peters, B. G., & Pierre, J. (2025) · International Review of Administrative Sciences · doi:10.1177/00208523251318600 · Cited by 15
Between Detachment and Responsiveness: Civil Servants in Europe and North America
Montpetit, É. (2011) · West European Politics · doi:10.1080/01402382.2011.616663 · Cited by 16
Les gestionnaires publics à l’épreuve des résultats
Mazouz, B., Rousseau, A., & Sponem, S. (2015) · Revue française de gestion · doi:10.3166/rfg.251.89-95 · Cited by 15
Metadata
- Authors
- Aberbach, J. D., Putnam, R. D., & Rockman, B. A.
- Venue
- Harvard University Press eBooks
- Publisher
- Harvard University Press
- Published
- 1981-12-31
- OpenAlex
- W4213436370
- Cited by
- 1,157
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 23 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 36 · 2022: 40 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 53 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 47 · 2016: 42 · 2015: 43 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 36 · 2012: 50
- FWCI
- 25.50
- Type
- book
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Harvard University Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Public Administration and Governance
- Social Sciences › Public Administration › Public Policy and Administration Research
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Public Administration and Political Analysis
- Keywords
- bureaucrats, politicians, political culture, civil service, party politics, elite attitudes, United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Netherlands, Western democracies
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review