ABSTRACT
A major area of external political relations involved the clientele contacts that were a necessary and ongoing part of careerists’ administrative activities. The recurrence of these relations thus allowed careerists to develop expertise in the political dynamics concerning their immediate tasks and for upper-level careerists to develop expertise in the larger political environments for their programs. Careerists used the political information and expertise as they pursued their normal tasks or formulated and chose among larger courses of action. Careerists normally worked with localities and thereby learned about localities’ preferences and the political dynamics of project development. Careerists can pursue their own policy preferences through external contacts, but they can also fulfill normative roles that include support for their political executives. Contact with upper-level careerists also increased during the passage of Carter’s Urban Initiatives legislation and during the passage of the Surface Transportation Act of 1978.
