The politicization of the public sector in Anglo Saxon nation UKUS

Abstract

The public sector, by nature, operates within a political framework, delivering essential services to citizens. This inherently political environment dictates that decisions around public sector outputs align with the question of "who gets what." While Weberian theory emphasizes a merit-based approach, promoting neutrality and rule-bound actions, the reality often sees political influences creeping into public administration. Politicians, eager to ensure their policies are implemented efficiently, may prioritize loyalty over merit, a practice that threatens the impartiality and effectiveness of the public sector. This trend towards politicisation has fueled debates, with scholars arguing that it damages public confidence and diminishes administrative efficiency. In response to failures in service delivery, Anglo-Saxon countries like the U.S. and the U.K. have explored reforms such as New Public Management (NPM) and New Public Governance (NPG). These frameworks sought to improve public sector performance but also revealed and sometimes amplified political influence. By reshaping the relationship between civil servants and politicians, these models highlighted new forms of politicisation. This paper investigates the extent of politicisation in the public sectors of the U.S. and U.K., examining how it affects the dynamic between ministers and senior civil servants and the implications for public administration.