Management of the Administrative State

Abstract

This article focuses on the management of the administrative state. By management of the administrative state, we mean the processes which not only govern how decisions are made but also the processes governing which decisions are made and who makes them including the most appropriate institution(s) to house the aforementioned activities. Emphasis is not placed on the techniques used to operate the administrative state such as benefit-cost analysis, centralized regulatory review, or judicial review, but instead on an identification of acceptable processes for the management of the administrative state. An ancillary issue is whether the economic and legal professions have the capacity and interest in pursuing the development of the said principles and procedures and whether a greater role should be accorded to social scientists, particularly political scientists. What could emerge is a new discipline dedicated to the management of the administrative state as opposed to its operation or in the alternative, refocus the agenda of the political science/public administration communities.