Admission requirements
Only students of the MSc Public Administration can join this class.
Description
A good relationship between politics and the administration is essential for successful government. In practice the success of politicians is very much dependent on the quality of their staff. The relationship between a minister and his civil servants can make or break a minister’s future. There are many potential tensions between the two. The civil service is supposed to give frank and fearless advice, which can sometimes be perceived as not convenient. Civil servants have to provide state of the art information and maintain strict neutrality in preparing and executing policy. Politicians on their part want to achieve political and electoral successes, and are therefore very much focused on the media. The horizon of politicians differs from the horizon of civil servants. Also their basic values are different. Politicians sometimes express as their feeling that civil servants have too much power and are not willing to respond quickly to their wishes or to the demands of society, when it comes to structural changes but also in operational cases. In the eyes of politicians civil servants lack, it is said, enough sensitivity for the daily political challenges and for the need to respond as fast as possible. Politicians also feel uncomfortable about the monopoly of civil servants as far as information or relevant networks in society and among stakeholders are concerned. Civil servants are sceptical about the focus on the very short term and the willingness of politicians to make short term deals.
The course explores this dynamic but also delicate relationship. The emphasis is very much on the working of government in practice, illustrated by cases from the Netherlands and other countries. Comparison between various countries about the way politicians and civil servants co-operate is part of the course. There will be ample opportunity to discuss with several key players, e.g. politicians, civil servants, journalists and lobbyists. A visit to Parliament , a ministry and the Nieuwspoort Press Centre is part of the course.
Learning objectives
At the end of the course students should have attained:
a global awareness of the relationship between politicians and civil servants, including the tensions, the conflicts and the instruments to solve these conflicts
analytical skills for analysing of the way government works in practice
the ability to strategically advice politicians and civil servants on solutions for problems that exist in practice
a thorough understanding of the personalities involved: their behaviour, their critical success factors, their professionalism, their tricks
a thorough understanding of the differences between political systems in a number of relevant countries
Timetable
Mode of instruction
The basis of the course is a number of presentations about different subjects. In several presentations also outside people from the practice of government are playing a role. Some case-studies about people, conflicts and developments are part of the course. One or more visits to relevant places and discussions with relevant players are included. Students are required to participate energetically in the discussions and also to prepare presentations. Students have to prepare a final paper and to present this paper in front of a panel.
Assessment method
2 written assignments (15 % and 20% of the final grade)
1 paper plus individual oral presentation (65% of the final grade)
You can find more information about assessments and the timetable exams on the website.
Details for submitting papers (deadlines) are posted on Blackboard.
On the Public Administration front page of the E-guide you will find links to the website, uSis and Blackboard.
Resit
Students will be permitted to resit an examination if they have taken the first sit and have a mark lower than 5.5 or with permission of the Board of Examiners.
Resit written exam
Students that want to take part in a resit for a written exam, are required to register via uSis. Use the activity number that can be found on the ‘timetable exams’.
Blackboard
To be announced.
Literature
Donald J. Savoie, Breaking the Bargain, University of Toronto Press, 2003
Roel Bekker, Liaisons dangereuses, Inaugural Lecture University of Leiden, 2009 (English version)
Paul ‘t Hart, Anchrit Wille, Ministers and top officials in the Dutch core executive: living together, growing apart?, Public Administration Vol. 84, no. 1, 2006 (121-146)
Patrick Weller, Australia’s Mandarins, Allen & Unwin 2001
Other recommended literature: to be announced during the course.
Registration
Use both uSis and Blackboard to register for every course.
Register for every course and workgroup via uSis. Some courses and workgroups have a limited number of participants, so register on time (before the course starts). In uSis you can access your personal schedule and view your results. Registration in uSis is possible from four weeks before the start of the course.
Also register for every course in Blackboard. Important information about the course is posted here.