Autonomy: a guiding criterion for decentralizing public administration
By: Rolla, Giancarlo.
Material type:
ArticlePublisher: 1998Description: p.27-39.Subject(s): Decentralization | Public administration
In:
International Review of Administrative SciencesSummary: An obvious difference exists between constitutional and administrative change: changes in public administration, in general, happen gradually, so much so that anyone observing the matter from a historical perspective is tempted to notice more continuity than discontinuity. The predominant element in the life of most administrations is usually the `evolution' of systems, i.e. the continuous adaptation, often imperceptible, of organizations and their functions in order to adjust to the new shape of external reality. Much less frequent is the phenomenon of reform, consisting of rapid change that includes even the principles and the rules that govern organaizations and the behaviour of administrations. The general tendency which has recently emerged seems to involve various realities which might in themselves appear to be dissimilar: states with either new or very old traditions, unitary or federal states, states based upon the principles of civil law or upon the rules of common law. All the same, it is interesting to note that the introduction of radical administrative reform involves, in largely equal measure, legal systems subject to radical constitutional reform (in Belgium, for example) and legal systems with high administrative stability (such as in France and in Great Britain)
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Indian Institute of Public Administration | Volume no: 64, Issue no: 1 | Available | AR38388 |
An obvious difference exists between constitutional and administrative change: changes in public administration, in general, happen gradually, so much so that anyone observing the matter from a historical perspective is tempted to notice more continuity than discontinuity. The predominant element in the life of most administrations is usually the `evolution' of systems, i.e. the continuous adaptation, often imperceptible, of organizations and their functions in order to adjust to the new shape of external reality. Much less frequent is the phenomenon of reform, consisting of rapid change that includes even the principles and the rules that govern organaizations and the behaviour of administrations. The general tendency which has recently emerged seems to involve various realities which might in themselves appear to be dissimilar: states with either new or very old traditions, unitary or federal states, states based upon the principles of civil law or upon the rules of common law. All the same, it is interesting to note that the introduction of radical administrative reform involves, in largely equal measure, legal systems subject to radical constitutional reform (in Belgium, for example) and legal systems with high administrative stability (such as in France and in Great Britain)
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