Civil Servants and Politics A Delicate Balance

by Neuhold, Christine; Vanhoonacker, Sophie; Verhey, Luc

• ISBN13: 9780230304833
• ISBN10: 0230304834
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2013-03-25
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

The relationship between civil servants and politicians is as fascinating as it is complex with their mutual interdependence requiring to cooperate despite the ever-present risk of tension and conflict. For reasons of efficiency it is important that the civil service has a certain degree of independence and detachment from the political process. The requirement of democratically legitimate and accountable decision-making however demands control at the political level. This comparative study focuses on the changing relations between civil servants and politicians in the European Union in the last two decades. As well as national case studies this book also looks into politico-administrative relations in supranational institutions such as the European Commission and the European Parliament.

Author Biography

Luc Verhey is Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
 
Sophie Voohanacker is Jean Monnet Professor, Department of Politics, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
 
Christine Neuhold is Associate Professor of European Governance, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.

Table of Contents

To come