Abstract

BILHIM, João. Politics and administration: in the extent to which the political activity is relevant for the exercise of an administrative position. Sociologia [online]. 2014, vol.28, pp.11-31. ISSN 0872-3419.

It is acknowledged the role of administrative reforms in Portugal in the introduction of greater technical rationality in the process of public management and the restructuring of public organizations (Bilhim, 2000a); (Mozicafredo, 2000). This rationalization technique is based on the dichotomy between elected and “bureaucrats” appointed (Wilson, 1941 (1887)) and Weber (1952) with the “ideal type” of bureaucracy. However Dwight Waldo (1946) and Herbert Simon (1997 (1947)) challenged the dichotomy, each for different reasons. Then, in the 1980’s, the dichotomy reemerged and is now alive. In this article, discusses, in the light of the contribution of these founding authors of science of public administration, to what extent the work of a politician, as such, may be taken into account, in the evaluation of a jury, for public managers or top leader of the administration.

Keywords : technical rationality; political rationality; sociology of management.

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