Translating Theoretical Ideas into Modern State Reform
- 1 November 2003
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Administration & Society
- Vol. 35 (5) , 491-509
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399703256158
Abstract
Reform ideas inspired by the new institutional economics have swept the world. This article examines three perspectives on organizing government and civil service. The individual-economic model draws on market theories. It emphasizes institutional arrangements designed to harness individual self-interest to achieve overall efficiency. The collectivist model stresses a centralized state, collective goals, and cultural integration. The pluralist model celebrates a vital group life and sees heterogeneous interests as properly reflected in a public sector characterized by institutional variety. We analyze the three as guides to reform, with emphasis on the individual-economic model, and argue that each applies best under certain conditions.Keywords
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