ABSTRACT
More than 60 years after its inception, Israel still lacks an effective civil service in terms of structure, modes of operation, and a division of labor between the political and administrative echelons. The continuous instability of the political system also undermines the functioning of public institutions, especially the civil service and, as noted in the previous chapter, contributes to the penetration of political patterns of behavior into administrative decision making. Rather than fi nding that professional considerations are exerting a greater infl uence on policymaking, we are witness to the politicization of these administrative decisions in the form of aggressive negotiations and ineffective compromises. This phenomenon is apparent throughout the nonpolitical executive echelons – the public sector at all levels – government ministries, statutory authorities, government-corporations, and the local authorities. The budgeting process discussed in chapter eight illustrates the problematic nature of public management at all levels.
