The public service of Canada
The case for political neutrality
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9784645 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Thomas D'Aquino (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1984 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 14-23 |
| Publication date | 1984-03-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Canadian Public Administration (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0008-4840 • E-ISSN: 1754-7121 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1754-7121.1984.tb02151.x |
| OpenAlex | W2127283682 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 1 |
Change is in the wind. There is an expectation that when the present leadership of the governing Liberal party passes from the scene and a transition to a Progressive Conservative or newly led Liberal government follows, sweeping changes at the top of the public service dl be the order of the day. The author welcomes a healthy dose of change — but change that is carefully thought through and orderly. He defends the concept of a permanent, professional, non‐partisan public service and points out how the doctrine of political neutrality has been eroded. He argues for a return to a stricter adherence to the anonymity principle and to a reaffirmation of merit as the benchmark of appointments. In seeking to strengthen the accountability of the public service to the executive, the author rejects partisan appointments to the public service in favour of appointed senior policy advisors. He proposes buttressing the role of individual advisors with a partisan research and policy analysis unit of some ten to fifteen people reporting directly to the Prime Minister and the cabinet as a whole. He suggests the upgrading of the research apparatuses of political parties themselves. Finally, he underscores the vital role that Parliament could play in exacting public service accountability. The author concludes that the federal public service in its central characteristics should be preserved, and that changes should be aimed inure in the direction of the restoration of the basic principles that have guided it in the past
Accountability · Cabinet (room · Doctrine · Economics · Liberal Party · Neutrality · Parliament · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Public service · Service (business · Canadian Identity and History · Canadian Policy and Governance · Law · Political Systems and Governance · Public Administration
| Citations per year | 0.05 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1986 - 2005 (20) |
| Highly cited | No |