The Rise of the Unelected: Democracy and the New Separation of Powers 9780521872393, 0521872391
Unelected bodies, such as independent central banks, economic regulators, risk managers and auditors have become a world
318 56 290KB
English Pages 212 Year 2007
Table of contents :
Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Boxes, tables and figures......Page 11
Acknowledgements......Page 12
A danger to democracy?......Page 13
The new branch......Page 14
Reform......Page 15
The rise of the unelected......Page 16
The importance of the unelected......Page 18
A challenge both to democratic practice and to democratic theory......Page 21
The radicalism of the new separation of powers......Page 24
Defining the new role for the traditional institutions......Page 26
The legitimacy of the new branch of government......Page 27
Organisation of the discussion......Page 28
1 The world of the unelected......Page 30
The diversity......Page 31
The service providers......Page 33
The risk assessors......Page 34
The boundary watchers......Page 37
The inquisitors......Page 38
The umpires and whistle-blowers......Page 40
A technical world......Page 42
The gathering and processing of detailed first-hand information......Page 43
A self-effacing class......Page 44
The shift to a service economy......Page 46
Managerial explanations......Page 47
The new public management......Page 48
The shortcomings of new public management......Page 49
Two types of judgement: two types of institution......Page 50
Externalising empirical judgements......Page 52
Independent information gatherers......Page 54
Assessing facts and weighing evidence......Page 56
Confidence in public information......Page 57
The ‘least bad’ alternative......Page 58
Sources of authority......Page 59
The twin challenge......Page 60
Relevance and acceptability......Page 61
Ending judgements......Page 62
Hard cases......Page 63
Unbundling institutional responsibility for policy......Page 65
Separation as the driving force......Page 66
The erosion of participatory democracy......Page 67
The virtues of participation......Page 68
Unelected bodies as a disincentive to participate......Page 69
Repoliticise?......Page 70
The reasons for disconnection......Page 71
Gaps in the rule of law......Page 72
Extending the concept of the rule of law?......Page 73
Unelected bodies and weaknesses in the rule of law......Page 74
Undermining deliberative democracy......Page 76
Transformation by public discussion......Page 77
The willingness to communicate......Page 78
The need to adapt traditional approaches......Page 80
5 Adapting traditional approaches......Page 81
Contracting with a democratic principal......Page 82
The conflict between contract and independence......Page 84
Multiple principals and chains of agents......Page 86
Between politics and the law......Page 87
Own procedures......Page 88
Constitutionalism......Page 89
The relevance of the new constitutional perspective......Page 90
Problems......Page 92
Pragmatism......Page 93
Pragmatism and deliberation......Page 94
Weaknesses......Page 95
Contradictory diagnosis......Page 96
Conflicts of interest and the separation of powers......Page 98
The classic doctrine......Page 99
The public and information asymmetries in politics......Page 100
Changing incentives to inform......Page 102
The radicalism of the new separation of powers......Page 104
Encouraging the ‘informed citizen’......Page 105
A question of trust?......Page 106
A question of limited judgement?......Page 108
The politics of blame?......Page 110
7 Informed citizens and the changing role of traditional institutions......Page 113
The changing nature of problem-solving......Page 114
The unelected bodies as problem-solvers......Page 115
The changing dynamics of the public policy agenda......Page 117
Updating the framework for private decision-taking......Page 118
The context of value differences......Page 119
Defining the arena......Page 121
The mirror......Page 122
The advantages of inquiry......Page 124
Judgemental processes and the new separation of powers......Page 125
8 The legitimacy of the new branch......Page 126
Public acceptance and public answerability......Page 127
Relations with the traditional branches – deference not control......Page 128
Legitimating an independent judiciary – the development of own standards......Page 129
Principles and legitimation......Page 130
Procedural legitimation......Page 131
Principles and procedures......Page 132
Principles and legitimation......Page 133
Procedures and legitimation......Page 135
Rigour......Page 138
A disputed standard?......Page 139
Validation......Page 140
9 The new separation of powers and the European Union......Page 141
Credible commitment......Page 142
Treaties as commitments......Page 143
The Commission......Page 144
Legacy costs......Page 145
Agencies......Page 147
Networking......Page 149
Combining different principles of democratic organisation......Page 150
The nature of power sharing in the EU......Page 151
The incompatibility......Page 153
The costs of incompatibility......Page 155
10 International institutions: blurring the boundaries......Page 156
Mobilising empirical knowledge......Page 157
International institutions and political ‘interference’......Page 160
Advocacy......Page 161
Shaping policy......Page 162
The framework......Page 164
Procedures......Page 165
Openness......Page 166
Neutrality......Page 167
Legitimising the United Nations......Page 168
Realism about states combined with ethics for peoples......Page 169
International norms combined with the virtues of accommodation......Page 171
Output legitimacy......Page 172
The shortcomings......Page 173
Direct......Page 174
Indirect......Page 175
Distinguishing between international bodies......Page 176
The new separation of powers in context......Page 177
Framing the debate......Page 178
The implications of the new separation of powers......Page 180
The components of accountability......Page 181
Holding the unelected branch within the limits of its power......Page 183
Sanctioning the unelected branch......Page 184
Adding to the sum of the total......Page 186
Legitimacy and accountability together......Page 187
Defining core functions in the new separation of powers......Page 188
Political sanctions and the unelected......Page 189
Developing the legitimacy of the new branch......Page 190
Reforming the EU......Page 191
Reforming the international system......Page 192
The least dangerous branch?......Page 193
Selected independent bodies in the UK......Page 195
Selected independent bodies in the USA......Page 196
Selected independent bodies in Australia......Page 197
Selected independent bodies in member states of the European Union......Page 198
Selected independent bodies of the European Union......Page 199
Selected independent international organisations......Page 200
Bibliography......Page 201
Index......Page 210
Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Boxes, tables and figures......Page 11
Acknowledgements......Page 12
A danger to democracy?......Page 13
The new branch......Page 14
Reform......Page 15
The rise of the unelected......Page 16
The importance of the unelected......Page 18
A challenge both to democratic practice and to democratic theory......Page 21
The radicalism of the new separation of powers......Page 24
Defining the new role for the traditional institutions......Page 26
The legitimacy of the new branch of government......Page 27
Organisation of the discussion......Page 28
1 The world of the unelected......Page 30
The diversity......Page 31
The service providers......Page 33
The risk assessors......Page 34
The boundary watchers......Page 37
The inquisitors......Page 38
The umpires and whistle-blowers......Page 40
A technical world......Page 42
The gathering and processing of detailed first-hand information......Page 43
A self-effacing class......Page 44
The shift to a service economy......Page 46
Managerial explanations......Page 47
The new public management......Page 48
The shortcomings of new public management......Page 49
Two types of judgement: two types of institution......Page 50
Externalising empirical judgements......Page 52
Independent information gatherers......Page 54
Assessing facts and weighing evidence......Page 56
Confidence in public information......Page 57
The ‘least bad’ alternative......Page 58
Sources of authority......Page 59
The twin challenge......Page 60
Relevance and acceptability......Page 61
Ending judgements......Page 62
Hard cases......Page 63
Unbundling institutional responsibility for policy......Page 65
Separation as the driving force......Page 66
The erosion of participatory democracy......Page 67
The virtues of participation......Page 68
Unelected bodies as a disincentive to participate......Page 69
Repoliticise?......Page 70
The reasons for disconnection......Page 71
Gaps in the rule of law......Page 72
Extending the concept of the rule of law?......Page 73
Unelected bodies and weaknesses in the rule of law......Page 74
Undermining deliberative democracy......Page 76
Transformation by public discussion......Page 77
The willingness to communicate......Page 78
The need to adapt traditional approaches......Page 80
5 Adapting traditional approaches......Page 81
Contracting with a democratic principal......Page 82
The conflict between contract and independence......Page 84
Multiple principals and chains of agents......Page 86
Between politics and the law......Page 87
Own procedures......Page 88
Constitutionalism......Page 89
The relevance of the new constitutional perspective......Page 90
Problems......Page 92
Pragmatism......Page 93
Pragmatism and deliberation......Page 94
Weaknesses......Page 95
Contradictory diagnosis......Page 96
Conflicts of interest and the separation of powers......Page 98
The classic doctrine......Page 99
The public and information asymmetries in politics......Page 100
Changing incentives to inform......Page 102
The radicalism of the new separation of powers......Page 104
Encouraging the ‘informed citizen’......Page 105
A question of trust?......Page 106
A question of limited judgement?......Page 108
The politics of blame?......Page 110
7 Informed citizens and the changing role of traditional institutions......Page 113
The changing nature of problem-solving......Page 114
The unelected bodies as problem-solvers......Page 115
The changing dynamics of the public policy agenda......Page 117
Updating the framework for private decision-taking......Page 118
The context of value differences......Page 119
Defining the arena......Page 121
The mirror......Page 122
The advantages of inquiry......Page 124
Judgemental processes and the new separation of powers......Page 125
8 The legitimacy of the new branch......Page 126
Public acceptance and public answerability......Page 127
Relations with the traditional branches – deference not control......Page 128
Legitimating an independent judiciary – the development of own standards......Page 129
Principles and legitimation......Page 130
Procedural legitimation......Page 131
Principles and procedures......Page 132
Principles and legitimation......Page 133
Procedures and legitimation......Page 135
Rigour......Page 138
A disputed standard?......Page 139
Validation......Page 140
9 The new separation of powers and the European Union......Page 141
Credible commitment......Page 142
Treaties as commitments......Page 143
The Commission......Page 144
Legacy costs......Page 145
Agencies......Page 147
Networking......Page 149
Combining different principles of democratic organisation......Page 150
The nature of power sharing in the EU......Page 151
The incompatibility......Page 153
The costs of incompatibility......Page 155
10 International institutions: blurring the boundaries......Page 156
Mobilising empirical knowledge......Page 157
International institutions and political ‘interference’......Page 160
Advocacy......Page 161
Shaping policy......Page 162
The framework......Page 164
Procedures......Page 165
Openness......Page 166
Neutrality......Page 167
Legitimising the United Nations......Page 168
Realism about states combined with ethics for peoples......Page 169
International norms combined with the virtues of accommodation......Page 171
Output legitimacy......Page 172
The shortcomings......Page 173
Direct......Page 174
Indirect......Page 175
Distinguishing between international bodies......Page 176
The new separation of powers in context......Page 177
Framing the debate......Page 178
The implications of the new separation of powers......Page 180
The components of accountability......Page 181
Holding the unelected branch within the limits of its power......Page 183
Sanctioning the unelected branch......Page 184
Adding to the sum of the total......Page 186
Legitimacy and accountability together......Page 187
Defining core functions in the new separation of powers......Page 188
Political sanctions and the unelected......Page 189
Developing the legitimacy of the new branch......Page 190
Reforming the EU......Page 191
Reforming the international system......Page 192
The least dangerous branch?......Page 193
Selected independent bodies in the UK......Page 195
Selected independent bodies in the USA......Page 196
Selected independent bodies in Australia......Page 197
Selected independent bodies in member states of the European Union......Page 198
Selected independent bodies of the European Union......Page 199
Selected independent international organisations......Page 200
Bibliography......Page 201
Index......Page 210
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