Unlike most public servants, top administrators - those who manage thousands of personnel and oversee millions of dollars in public spending - are appointed by the head of government. At the Pleasure of the Crown is a detailed exploration of this central but overlooked aspect of governing.

Christopher A. Cooper analyzes the appointment of deputy ministers in Canada's provincial bureaucracies over the last century. As the nature of governance has shifted - from limited government to welfare state and into the contemporary era of managerialism - governments have looked for different qualities in those who occupy top bureaucratic posts. Partisan loyalty was replaced by candid advice, and ultimately by feverish devotion to the policy agenda. Throughout, turnover among bureaucratic elites has remained highly political.

At the Pleasure of the Crown illuminates the historical balance of power between elected politicians and appointed bureaucrats, as well as the consequences for the integrity of Canadian public institutions.

About the Author
Christopher A. Cooper is an associate professor of public management at the University of Ottawa. His research investigates the complex relationship between politics and administration and has been published in a variety of leading periodicals, such as Public Administration, Governance, and Parliamentary Affairs.

Reviews
"A sophisticated analysis of the consequences of the growing politicization of the public service as well as its increasing marginalization at the hands of new partisan sources of policy advice. Christopher Cooper goes well beyond the tired 'strong first ministers' thesis that has dominated this analysis in the recent past to bring much-needed nuance to this debate."-Ken Rasmussen, University of Regina
A sophisticated analysis of the consequences of the growing politicization of the public service as well as its increasing marginalization at the hands of new partisan sources of policy advice. Christopher Cooper goes well beyond the tired 'strong first ministers' thesis that has dominated this analysis in the recent past to bring much-needed nuance to this debate. -- Ken Rasmussen, University of Regina



Book Information
ISBN 9780774864770
Author Christopher A. Cooper
Format Paperback
Page Count 148
Imprint University of British Columbia Press
Publisher University of British Columbia Press