Governments have grown in scope, and spread geographically, to the point where a new phenomenon has emerged -- rule by a political class of ministers regarded as the main instruments of change. Yet ministerial careers and the structure of ministerial careers have been largely neglected areas of study in political science. Jean Blondel's new book is a major, comparative study of the world's government ministers since 1945, which examines both their similarities and differences.Party structures, legislative behaviour, even bureaucratic arrangements vary from country to country, but the nature of the job and the status of ministers is largely uniform, making it possible to study and tackle fundamental questions and assumptions of ministerial government.
This volume builds an analytical framework in order to probe the very foundation of the 'ministerial profession' and explore important questions concerning political executives. Do social, economic, cultural or institutional factors contribute to the making of good or bad ministers? Are we justified in complaining about bad government? And, does high ministerial turnover contribute to bad government?
- ISBN10 0803997507
- ISBN13 9780803997509
- Publish Date 22 February 1985 (first published 30 January 1985)
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 18 February 2010
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint SAGE Publications Ltd
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 292
- Language English