Konsten att dansa tango En studie om relationen mellan förvaltningschefer och politiker i Bromölla kommun
BureaucracyDemocracySenior officialsMunicipal chief officersPoliticiansLocal governmentPolitical and administrative sciencesStatsvetenskapFörvaltningskunskapLaw and Political Science
This essay studies the relationship between politicians and municipal chief officers from the point of view of the bureaucracy and its role in democracy and the substance of the chief position. I conducted interviews and observations with politicians and senior officials from the local public administration in Bromölla. The roles of the chief officer and politicians have certain common characteristics which makes it difficult to separate them. Senior officials working full time in contrast to part time politicians give them an advantage in the political process. Budget cut backs both enhance the role of politicians and chief officers in the administrative organisation. The chief officer's role as expert constitute two main problems in a democratic framework both of whom exist in the relationship between politicians and senior officials. In the stage of evaluation in the political process there is a contradiction between increasing political control by better evaluating and the fact that the bureaucracy designs the evaluation. The analysis ends with the ?alliance relationship? that shows how the relationship between politicians and chief officers is constituted by cooperation and common action towards different agents. The results from the analysis raises questions about responsibility and problems with democratic demanding.