TY - JOUR
T1 - Functional Politicization in the Dutch Senior Civil Service
T2 - Evidence from Longitudinal Surveys and Qualitative Research (2007-2019)
AU - Belloir, Alex
AU - van den Berg, Caspar
PY - 2020/12
Y1 - 2020/12
N2 - Although substantial advances have been made in our comprehension of functional politicization - political capacities and activities being taken on by bureaucrats in their administrative duties - questions surrounding its causal mechanisms remain. To shed light on these questions, we here explore increasing political polarization (and fragmentation) in Dutch politics and functional politicization over the period 2007-2019 to see how the two are related. To do so, we adopt a cross-time approach that observes which skills - political-strategic insight, substantive expertise (Fachwissen), or procedural knowledge (Dienstwissen) - senior civil servants perceive to be the most relevant to successfully and correctly exercise their profession in a period of increasing polarization in the Dutch political landscape. Drawing from surveys conducted with senior civil servants in 2007, 2013 and 2019, combined with semi-structured interviews conducted in 2019, the data depicts the prevalence of political astuteness in the profession and highlights the factors for its causes: institutional, organizational, and interpersonal dynamics. This indicates an (in)direct link between political polarization and functional politicization of the administrative apparatus that serves as a basis for further cross-time and cross-country investigation.
AB - Although substantial advances have been made in our comprehension of functional politicization - political capacities and activities being taken on by bureaucrats in their administrative duties - questions surrounding its causal mechanisms remain. To shed light on these questions, we here explore increasing political polarization (and fragmentation) in Dutch politics and functional politicization over the period 2007-2019 to see how the two are related. To do so, we adopt a cross-time approach that observes which skills - political-strategic insight, substantive expertise (Fachwissen), or procedural knowledge (Dienstwissen) - senior civil servants perceive to be the most relevant to successfully and correctly exercise their profession in a period of increasing polarization in the Dutch political landscape. Drawing from surveys conducted with senior civil servants in 2007, 2013 and 2019, combined with semi-structured interviews conducted in 2019, the data depicts the prevalence of political astuteness in the profession and highlights the factors for its causes: institutional, organizational, and interpersonal dynamics. This indicates an (in)direct link between political polarization and functional politicization of the administrative apparatus that serves as a basis for further cross-time and cross-country investigation.
KW - polarization
KW - functional politicization
KW - senior civil servants
KW - political-administrative dichotomy
KW - bureaucratic powers
KW - POLITICS
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85098660557&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2478/nispa-2020-0014
DO - 10.2478/nispa-2020-0014
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85098660557
VL - 13
SP - 49
EP - 73
JO - NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy
JF - NISPAcee Journal of Public Administration and Policy
SN - 1337-9038
IS - 2
ER -