Chapter 8 Government Departments and Central Agencies

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Chapter 8 Government Departments and Central
Agencies

• Executive consists of non-political (GG) and
  political (Cabinet)
• Cabinet is made up of ministers
• Administration is non-political and made up of
  civil servants (bureaucrats)
• Ministers have authority over the civil servants
  in the departments under their jurisdiction.

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Organization Chart forGovernment of Canada
(Chapter 2)
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Principles of Political and Bureaucratic Relations

• Ministerial responsibility
• Collective responsibility means ministers have to
  have a consensus on policy. Stick together.
• Individual responsibility means ministers are
  individually responsible for the actions of their
  departments
• Coordination and hierarchy
• Hierarchical organization charts of government
  can be misleading. Reality is more complex.

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Central Agencies Departments for Horizontal
Policy Coordination

• A substantial amount of continuing, legitimate
  authority to direct and intervene in the
  activities of departments
• PM and ministers use Central Agencies to
  coordinate departments work

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Central Agencies Departments for Horizontal
Policy Coordination

• PMOpolitical help for PM
• PCOCabinet Office administrative and
  coordinating body for cabinet, especially PM.
• TBSWatches over the use of people and money.
  Acts as the Governments employer
• Dept. Fin.concerned with economic impact of
  policies, taxation and budgets
• PSCconcerned with hiring and promotions and
  other personnel matters
• Foreign Affairs and International Trade
• Justice

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Other Department Types

• Vertical Constituency
• Examples
• Forestry
• Health
• Horizontal Administrative Coordination
• National Revenue (CCRA)
• Public Works and Government Services

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Organizational Chart of Department of Transport

• Page 211

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Principles of Political and Bureaucratic Relations

• Reality is a complex pattern of power relations.
• Ministers often can influence rather than control
• Hierarchy promotes accountability and helps
  coordination
• Deputy Minister
• Appointed by PM, not the minister-
• has dual accountability
• Politicians get spotlight DMs have power

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Principles of Political and Bureaucratic Relations

• Deputy Ministers have to be politically
  sensitive-protect the ministers in power from
  themselves
• Also heavily involved in bureaucratic politics
• PM and Cabinet
• Responsible for making and implementing policy
• Cabinet and its committees do the work, helped by
  central agencies
• Have to relate political needs to department
  policy proposals

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Principles of Political and Bureaucratic Relations

• PM much more than first among equals
• Appoints and fires ministers, controls Cabinet
• Time problems cannot possibly be on top of
  everything. The machinery keeps grinding away. PM
  has to concentrate on a few issues only.
• PM style changes, personality, electoral
  strength, caucus relations, management style all
  play a part.
• Ministers have the same problems. Little time to
  spend on the workings of government.