The Napoleonic Administrative Tradition and Public Management Reform in France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain

Abstract

This chapter investigates contemporary features of the inherited Napoleonic tradition in five countries — France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain — and analyses its influence on the dynamics of public management reforms. The first part of the chapter outlines in more detail than was attempted in Chapter 2 the main features of this administrative tradition, while also giving an account of the extent to which there is variation among the countries within the family. One question posed is whether these five contemporary states are showing any signs of ‘drift’ or departure from this tradition in recent times. The analysis section follows the fourfold clustering of variables set out in the introductory chapter as a means of identifying the main features of an administrative tradition, namely: the relationship of state to society; the relationship of the public bureaucracy to other state institutions; the relative importance attached to law and management; and the extent to which accountability depends on law as the primary mechanism for controlling bureaucracy. Later sections review recent reforms and ask questions about the impact of tradition on these reforms.