ABSTRACT
Previous chapters have all pointed to a growth in the size, influence and discretionary powers of bureaucracy. These developments can be seen as a necessary product of economic and social change (Ch. 2); as the outcome of the material ambitions of bureaucrats themselves (Ch. 3); as the result of alliances between interest groups and bureaucrats (Ch. 4); or as the outcome of international economic competition and the requirements of capitalism (Ch. 5). These explanations are not mutually consistent and do not have the same implications for bureaucratic behaviour, but they build upon the same perception of a bigger and stronger bureaucratic system carrying out an increased range of functions.
