The Changing Role of the Senior Civil Service in Dutch National Government

  • Frits M. van der Meer
  • Jos C. N. Raadschelders
Chapter
Part of the Transforming Government book series (TRGO)

Abstract

Publications about changes in the senior civil service in the Netherlands in the past few years (de Vries & van Dam, 1998; Bovens, 2000; van der Meer & Dijkstra 2000; Noordegraaf, 2000; Nieuwenkamp, 2001; ‘t Hart et al., 2002; van der Meer 2002, 2004) are part of a general increase in the study of the civil service (Bekke et al., 1996; Verheyen, 1999; Bekke and Van der Meer, 2000; Burns & Bowornwathana, 2001). These changes are a consequence of developments in the wider political and societal environment which particularly affect the role of the senior civil service as a policy and political actor. Two particular developments are of importance here. First, while never really functioning in a vacuum, the senior civil service is becoming increasingly intertwined in a network of administrative officials at international, supranational, and sub-national levels. Moreover, relations with non-governmental or semi-governmental actors have intensified, insofar as these actors are involved in and responsible for the production and (possibly) provision of collective interest services. Second, there has been a deeper and more fundamental realignment of ideas about the role of the state and government in society. Does or should the state assume an active role, taking initiatives or should it play a more intermediary, enabling role? Changing expectations in this regard may be expected to have a direct bearing on the position of the senior civil service. The need for that realignment has become even more manifest given the societal turmoil and national identity crisis the Netherlands is experiencing with the rise (2002) and assassination of Fortuyn (2003) and continuing (2005) with a withering of public confidence in national and European government elites.

Keywords

European Union Civil Service Planning Agency Senior Official Sector Body 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Frits M. van der Meer and Jos C. N. Raadschelders 2007

Authors and Affiliations

  • Frits M. van der Meer
  • Jos C. N. Raadschelders

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