Democracy, Power and the Public Service

This subject deals with the many ways in which an independent public service is a fundamental component of a well-functioning liberal democracy. This issue is often discussed by placing the unelected (‘undemocratic’) bureaucracy in tension with elected actors and the public. However, developments worldwide in recent years have heightened our understanding of an independent public service as a key pillar for any democratic system, including: providing trusted information to both government and the public; assisting with production of policy; keeping government accountable; and acting as a protector of individual rights and the rule of law more broadly. In many states worldwide the public service’s independence has come under direct attack, or is being slowly undermined due to diffuse trends, including increasingly polarised political environments where the very idea of an objective institution is subject to doubt.