scholarly journals Political-administrative relations: The role of political advisers

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-182
Author(s):  
Bernadette Connaughton

Abstract Ministerial advisers were first formally appointed as support for individual Irish ministers in 1973, and since then their numbers and tasks have considerably expanded. As ‘temporary civil servants’, they are regarded as both an accepted and criticised feature of executive government. This article focuses on the role of political staff during the period 2011-16 and centres on the period of the economic crisis and its immediate aftermath. It considers themes arising in the international literature that raise questions for the reform of the Irish ‘special adviser’. In order to unpack the specifics of the Irish case, the position and function of special advisers are explored through two theoretical perspectives - public adviser bargains and the core executive. It is argued that the special adviser continues to fit somewhat uneasily within the imperatives of the political-administrative system because they are personally appointed by ministers and their selection is determined by the level and type of support required by individual ministers, as opposed to any preordained skills set.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Jacob A. Miller ◽  
Mark D'Esposito ◽  
Kevin S. Weiner

Stuss considered the human prefrontal cortex (pFC) as a “cognitive globe” [Stuss, D. T., & Benson, D. F. Neuropsychological studies of the frontal lobes. Psychological Bulletin, 95, 3–28, 1984] on which functions of the frontal lobe could be mapped. Here, we discuss classic and recent findings regarding the evolution, development, function, and cognitive role of shallow indentations or tertiary sulci in pFC, with the goal of using tertiary sulci to map the “cognitive globe” of pFC. First, we discuss lateral pFC (LPFC) tertiary sulci in classical anatomy and modern neuroimaging, as well as their development, with a focus on those within the middle frontal gyrus. Second, we discuss tertiary sulci in comparative neuroanatomy, focusing on primates. Third, we summarize recent findings showing the utility of tertiary sulci for understanding structural–functional relationships with functional network insights in ventromedial pFC and LPFC. Fourth, we revisit and update unresolved theoretical perspectives considered by C. Vogt and O. Vogt (Allgemeinere ergebnisse unserer hirnforschung. Journal für Psychologie und Neurologie, 25, 279–462, 1919) and F. Sanides (Structure and function of the human frontal lobe. Neuropsychologia, 2, 209–219, 1964) that tertiary sulci serve as landmarks for cortical gradients. Together, the consideration of these classic and recent findings indicate that tertiary sulci are situated in a unique position within the complexity of the “cognitive globe” of pFC: They are the smallest and shallowest of sulci in pFC, yet can offer insights that bridge spatial scales (microns to networks), modalities (functional connectivity to behavior), and species. As such, the map of tertiary sulci within each individual participant serves as a coordinate system specific to that individual on which functions may be further mapped. We conclude with new theoretical and methodological questions that, if answered in future research, will likely lead to mechanistic insight regarding the structure and function of human LPFC.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandro Busso

In modern democracies, nonprofit organizations and social enterprises have a relevant political role that may be threatened by the entry into the market of services. This risk increases in time of economic crisis, when the competition grows stronger and the economic needs become more urgent. Starting from this assumption, the article analyzes the relationship between the managerial strategies and the political role of the Italian third sector, focusing on the implications of the management models put in place in order to “survive” the 2008 economic crisis. Two ideal-typical strategies will be outlined, labelled respectively “entrepreneurial turn” and “hyper-embeddedness”, which seem to have effects both in terms of the manner in which the political role is realized, and in terms of the degree of politicization of the organizations. Since such strategies can both increase or decrease nonprofits’ political ambitions, it is not possible to give an interpretation in terms of a tout court distancing from politics. However, it will be argued that a trait common to all the trajectories is the withdrawal from what Mouffe defines “the political”, referring specifically to the dimension of conflict and antagonism.


Author(s):  
Stephen L. Elkin

This article describes the connection between political theory and political economy. It argues that political theorists need to take account of political economy in theorizing about the contemporary world because capitalism is the most powerful force at work in shaping the modern sociopolitical world. It also explains that economic questions concerning economic growth, the distribution of wealth and income, and role of markets are at the core of the political life in democratic societies.


Author(s):  
Christos Lyrintzis

This chapter deals with the political trajectory of the Greek socialist party PASOK, from its foundation in 1974 until its electoral demise during and after the sovereign debt economic crisis of the 2009–15 period. The analysis of the Greek socialists starts with a brief discussion of the manner in which PASOK was founded, its organizational and ideological features, its electoral base and the new elements it brought into Greek politics. It continues with the presentation of the party’s performance in power during the 1980s and the 1990s. Next, follows a discussion of the period 2004–09 when PASOK was in opposition, and the management of the economic crisis during the period 2009–12 when the party was again in power. Finally, the role of populism in Greek politics is discussed in relation to the current problems PASOK is facing in an era of economic crisis.


Author(s):  
Richard Heffernan

Institutions cannot be understood without exploring the actors who occupy them, while actors cannot be understood without examining the institutions they inhabit. Ultimately, the actions of both institutions and actors cannot be understood separate to the political, social and economic context within which they are located. Tony Blair, rightly cited as an example of a powerful prime minister, does not have a monopoly of power, but he does have an extensive authority. The prime minister requires two things to operate effectively within Whitehall and Westminster: first, power over their parliamentary majority; and second, power within the government they lead. Because this power is contested and challenged, the age-old question, the actual degree of collegiality within government, is as central to contemporary debates about the working of the core executive as to the ancient debate about prime ministerial versus cabinet government. The prime minister is therefore best modelled as a strong, but sometimes weak, parliamentary chief executive.


2018 ◽  
Vol 224 (3) ◽  
pp. 253-272
Author(s):  
Teacher. Osama AbdAli Khalaf

    The consensual democracy Considered a form of a ruling , in the Unconsensus in heterogeneous national or sectarian or ideological, which is limited to the core political issues that require political consensus, does not extend to all levels of political action because this democracy may be crippling political stability and lead the leaders of the political forces role pivotal in this aspect, the more these leaders have taken in the national interest supreme value at the expense of ethnic or narrow sectarian interests, whenever consensus and political stability, and the more hardened leaders in their own interests, were introduced in a closed circle of conflict and instability.


Management ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Watkiss ◽  
Jungsoo Ahn

Sensemaking is one of the main theoretical perspectives that is used to understand both social cognition within organizational theory and the social construction of organizational behavior. Initial scholarship focused on the cognitive processes of sensemaking; discursive approaches followed in order to understand how actors come together to coordinate action. In recent years, the scope of the sensemaking perspective has expanded to account for the role of affect as well as to consider the political nature of sensemaking. Although sensemaking is most closely informed by ideas in social psychology and management, it also draws from cognitive psychology, symbolic interactionism, and ethnomethodology. The first section provides an introduction to sensemaking, including introductory works, overviews, and reviews. Next, the journals where sensemaking research is published are highlighted. This is followed by a review of the primary and emerging approaches to sensemaking. We conclude with a discussion about sensegiving, a related construct, and how a sensemaking perspective informs other areas of organizational theory, including strategic change, organizing, and symbolic approaches to organizational life.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob Miller ◽  
Mark D'Esposito ◽  
kevin weiner

Stuss (1984) considered the human prefrontal cortex (PFC) as a “cognitive globe” on which functions of the frontal lobe could be mapped. Here, we discuss classic and recent findings regarding the evolution, development, function, and cognitive role of shallow indentations, or tertiary sulci, in PFC with the goal of using tertiary sulci to map the “cognitive globe” of PFC. First, we discuss lateral PFC (LPFC) tertiary sulci in classical anatomy and modern neuroimaging, as well as their development, with a focus on those within the middle frontal gyrus (MFG). Second, we discuss tertiary sulci in comparative neuroanatomy, focusing on primates. Third, we summarize recent findings showing the utility of tertiary sulci for understanding structural-functional relationships with functional network insights in ventromedial and LPFC. Fourth, we revisit and update unresolved theoretical perspectives considered by Vogt and Vogt (1919) and Sanides (1964) that tertiary sulci serve as landmarks for cortical gradients. Together, the consideration of these classic and recent findings indicate that tertiary sulci are situated in a unique position within the complexity of the “cognitive globe” of PFC: they are the smallest and shallowest of sulci in PFC, yet can offer insights that bridge spatial scales (microns to networks), modalities (functional connectivity to behavior), and species. As such, the map of tertiary sulci within each individual participant serves as a coordinate system specific to that individual on which functions may be further mapped. We conclude with new theoretical and methodological questions that if answered in future research, will likely lead to mechanistic insight regarding the structure and function of human LPFC.


Author(s):  
Emiliano Vitti

At the end of September 1939 Polish Campaign opened the Second World War and Germans took control of their portion of territory, according to the German-Soviet agrements of August-September 1939, giving it a juridical, institutional and socialeconomic structure subject to the Reich, with specific functions and aims, as the reorganization of the administrative system through the institution of the General Government of Poland. Nevertheless, every historiographical reflection cannot be separated from the survey of Governor Hans Frank’s role. His position was in fact relevant owing to his cultural and professional education, his loyalty to Hitler, his personal uncertainties, his role of First Reich’s Jurist and private Hitler’s lawyer, before becoming Governor of Poland. The need of a management of Poland with SS caused frictions and jurisdiction conflicts, both at the political-institutional and on a personal level with some of the main responsible officials on behalf of Heinrich Himmler. The analisys of these atypical territorial entity through an approach which was technically correct before humanitarian is basic to understand inner workings and to try to produce a framework of the system as complete as possible about the administration of these sui generis “State”.


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