Effects of Global Pressures on Public Bureaucracy

This article develops the authors’ existing theoretical framework for comparative analysis into a testable empirical model and shows how the model can be implemented for empirical inquiry through two case studies. According to this framework, the social, economic, and political systems that make up the domestic context act to filter global pressures that cause bureaucratic change. Based on the model, the article develops hypotheses predicting the effect of the global pressures on the major attributes of public bureaucracy: structure, scope, size, autonomy, and accountability. Brief case studies of Japan and Hong Kong test the hypothesized effects of global institutions and public sector efficiency pressures on bureaucratic change. Results indicate general support for the hypotheses. The article concludes by discussing further extensions and complexities not initially evident from the comparative framework.