Description
Book SynopsisSouth Korea is renowned as one of the success stories of fast economic development. The Korean developmental state was a highly efficient, meritocratic, and fully monopolized coercive force. These resources were skilfully leveraged to shape the direction of private sector actors towards strategic initiatives. However, these very same resources could have resulted in the bureaucracy retaining its power indefinitely. Instead, step-by-step, the resources of the bureaucracy, which serviced the authoritarian leadership in the developmental period, were exercised towards democratization. What were the conditions that made this transformation possible?
The Experience of Democracy and Bureaucracy in South Korea addresses this question, filling the existing gap in the academic literature and presenting political implications. It explores the ways in which bureaucracy may not only be compatible with democracy but, more ambitiously, the conditions under which it can enhance it. The chapters examine the unique systems and institutions of the Korean bureaucracy including the National Election Commission, the police force, local government, the ceiling recruitment strategy, and procurement policy.
This timely collection will be of interest to researchers, graduate and undergraduate students in public administration and policy. It will also be a useful reference for bureaucrats in developing countries who seek to design policy for bureaucracy in concurrence with democratization.
Trade ReviewKorean scholars of public administration and civic education seek definitions and examples of good public administration. Among their topics are revisiting bureaucratic dysfunction: the role of bureaucracy in democratization, rediscovering Korea's local bureaucracy: the unsung players in the nation's democratization process, the supreme audit institution and democracy: the function of the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea for democratization, public procurement policy in South Korea: approaches to sustainable development and anti-corruption, and the ceiling strategy as policy: limited bureaucratic expansion and democratization. -- Annotation ©2017 * (protoview.com) *
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Bureaucracy and Korean Development Revisiting Bureaucratic Dysfunction: The Role of Bureaucracy in Democratization;
Tobin Im Electoral Democracy and the Role of the Electoral Management Body in South Korea;
Seon-Gyu Go Rediscovering Korea’s Local Bureaucracy: The Unsung Players in the Nation’s Democratization Process;
Shi-Chul Lee Bureaucracy, Regulatory Management, and Korean Democracy;
Hyukwoo Lee Change and Continuity in Police Organizations: Institution, Legitimacy, and Democratization;
WonHyuk Cho Supreme Audit Institution Bureaucracy and Democracy: Korean SAI (BAI)’s Functions for Democratization;
Nanyoung Kim Public Procurement Policy in South Korea: Approaches to Sustainable Development and Anti-corruption;
Jesse W. Campbell The Olympics, Soft Power, and Democratization: The Role of Bureaucracy;
Kwnag-Hoon Lee The Ceiling Strategy as Policy: Limiting Bureaucratic Expansion and Democratization;
Hyemin Choi and Jisu Jeong
