Bureauratic Politics

This seminar introduces students to both old and new work in the study of bureaucracy. The emphasis of this course is on bureaucratic politics. This perspective touches on a range of questions that have long animated scholars of comparative politics. What is the relationship between bureaucratic organization and state capacity? Why do rulers adopt merit-based selection procedures when doing so undermines their authority? How much discretion should bureaucrats be afforded when interpreting laws and implementing policies? Through what mechanisms do politicians capture bureaucrats and what tools do bureaucrats have for resisting?