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Stacking the Deck: Bureaucratic Missions and Policy Design

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  • Bendor, Jonathan
  • Taylor, Serge
  • Van Gaalen, Roland
Abstract
Empirical studies suggest that mission-oriented bureaucrats bias their design of program alternatives to increase the odds that a superior will choose the kind of program the officials want. However, political executives may anticipate this manipulation and try to reassert control. These struggles are examined in three models. In Model 1 a senior bureaucrat is interested only in missions; the bureaucrat's political superior controls him or her by rejecting inferior proposals and entertaining new options from other policy specialists. Model 2 is a principal-agent analysis. Here the official is interested only in budgets; the official's superior reduces search bias by creating an ex ante incentive scheme. In Model 3 the bureaucrat cares about both budgets and programs; the superior uses both his or her final review authority and ex ante incentives to reduce agenda manipulation. The models' contrasting implications for the political control of bureaucracy are examined.

Suggested Citation

  • Bendor, Jonathan & Taylor, Serge & Van Gaalen, Roland, 1987. "Stacking the Deck: Bureaucratic Missions and Policy Design," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 81(3), pages 873-896, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:apsrev:v:81:y:1987:i:03:p:873-896_20
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    Cited by:

    1. Bendor, J. & Glazer, A. & Hammond, T.H., 2000. "Theories of Delegation in Political Science," Papers 00-01-14, California Irvine - School of Social Sciences.
    2. Miltos Makris, 2003. "Administrative Bureaus with Standard Operating Procedures," The Centre for Market and Public Organisation 03/062, The Centre for Market and Public Organisation, University of Bristol, UK.
    3. Carlsen, Fredrik, 1996. "A note on budget schemes in the public sector," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 149-156, April.

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