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Conceptualising Advisers' Policy Work

The Distinctive Policy Roles of Ministerial Advisers in the Keating Government, 1991–96

Bibliographic Data

ID6234716
AuthorsMaria Maley (0000-0003-4555-5352, corresponding author)
Year2000
Volume35
Issue3
Pages449-470
Publication date2000-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAustralian Journal of Political Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1036-1146 • E-ISSN: 1363-030X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/713649346
OpenAlexW2071988682
LanguageEN
Citations received57

The role of ministerial advisers in policy-making in Australia is a subject that has not received enough detailed attention. While advisers are often described as influential in policy-making, we do not have a full understanding of the policy roles that they play. Much research focuses on advisers' work in promoting political control through their work with departments. This paper conceptualises advisers' distinctive policy-making roles, based on recent empirical research on ministerial advisers in the Keating years (199196). How active advisers were varied significantly. The paper describes the policy roles of 'very active' advisers. Based on their own descriptions of their work and using examples, the paper outlines five distinctive policy roles: agenda-setting; linking ideas, interests and opportunities; mobilising; bargaining; and 'delivering'. In these roles advisers believed they could make a real difference to policy outcomes, even though they were not decision-makers

Control (management · Economics · Government (linguistics · Management · Policy making · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Work (physics · Commonwealth, Australian Politics and Federalism · Engineering · Law · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Public Administration · Public Policy and Administration Research

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Unique citing works57
Citations per year2,48
Citation span2003 - 2026 (24)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 56
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