Micro-Bureaucracies and Development Administration
| Date | 01 December 1973 |
| DOI | 10.1177/002085237303900408 |
| Published date | 01 December 1973 |
| Author | Jean-Claude Garcia Zamor |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Micro-Bureaucracies
and Development Administration
UDC 330.114.2 : 35.06 (729)
by
Jean-Claude GARCIA ZAMOR *,
Organization of American States
and Howard University
Most non-western bureaucracies are com-
ries, conflicts, and tensions. These balanced
posites of a series of informal micro-bureau-
tensions often serve as a stabilizing factor in
cracies structured along political interests or
these systems. In this paper only those tensions
modernizing approaches. These micro-bureau-
that positively or negatively affect the strategy
cracies flourish in the midst of rivalries, con-
and work of the micro-bureaucracies will be
flicts and tensions that are more often of a
analyzed. In the final part, the role of micro-
political rather than an administrative nature.
bureaucracies in development administration
Although they exist almost everywhere in the
will be pointed out and some suggestions will
Third World, they are most readily observable
be made as to how the theories advanced in
in those countries that offer an optimum of
this paper could be best tested in the Caribbean
conditions for their survival and operation.
political systems.
This paper will consider the micro-bureau-
MICRO-BUREAUCRACIES
cracy phenomenon against the broad back-
Micro-bureaucracies are small and informal
ground of the non-western world and will
review
.
organizations of bureaucrats who have the
some peculiar conditions in the Carib-
broad
bean islands that show them
common aim of
to be
wishing changes that
an ideal
would benefit the entire social and
laboratory for empirical research
political
on micro-
bureaucracies.
Therefore the hypothesis that
system. They are subdivided into two cate-
gories : those that are political and the non-
some distinctive features of the Caribbean
bureaucracy could be integrated into
political or administrative ones.
some
kind of loose &dquo; model &dquo; of Caribbean admin-
In this paper small groups within the large
istration, suggested in Professor Charles T.
bureaucracy which meet only for social reasons
Goodsell’s working outline for this panel, is
will not be considered micro-bureaucracies.
being dismissed from the very beginning.
This is not to ignore the fact that most of
However, the geographical area does offer
these social groups spend a great deal of time
a unique opportunity for testing theories about
discussing politics and that such political discus-
many varieties of non-western administration
sions often have important consequences in
already functioning in other non-industrialized
developing societies. As a matter of fact,
countries.
most political micro-bureaucracies originate out
of informal political discussions between mem-
After theoretically defining &dquo; micro-bureau-
bers of the bureaucracy. Public employee
cracy&dquo; and sub-categorizing it into two dis-
unions whose sole interest is to improve the
tinct groups, the paper will examine a series
welfare and working conditions of their mem-
of tension-producing factors that affect the
bers, will also be excluded from the micro-
activities of each of the two groups. Most
bureaucracy classification.
traditional Asian and African administrative
systems are built upon - and survive by
Political Micro-Bureaucracies
maintaining -
a fluctuating network of rival-
A political micro-bureaucracy is a group
of bureaucrats who are interested in
* Dr. Garcia-Zamor is a Senior
provoking
Specialist in
a
Public Administration, Organization of American
political change in the central government.
States, and a Lecturer in Public Administration,
It will tend to be a horizontal organization
Howard University. This paper was prepared for
including bureaucrats from different ministries
the panel on the Caribbean Area at the National
or departments who have a common educa-
Conference on Comparative Administration held at
tional or social
Syracuse, New York, 1-4 April, 1971.
background. The activities of
418
a political micro-bureaucracy will often be
or department or in a few agencies performing
secretive, especially under a repressive govern-
in a related area.
Because of the &dquo;team&dquo;
ment.
Its technique of operation will be
nature of their activities, they are primarily
similar to those of conspirators. It is more
vertical organizations with their members be-
likely that the members of these groups will
longing to a variety of socio-economic groups.
be in the higher strata of administration, in-
Since they are apolitical and their goals are
cluding ministers, since they probably aspire
not subversive, they can both recruit and oper-
to take over the government themselves in
ate openly. They will not be altogether free
order to make the reforms they advocate.
of political pressures since they often advocate
The members of these groups will be referred
certain changes which appear subversive. In
to as &dquo; policrats &dquo; because they usually conceive
many developing societies, constructive criti-
of the government (or the management of the
cisms of the government or the bureaucracy
whole society) as run only by political experts,
are not tolerated to the extent they are in
or in accordance with principles established
most modern industrialized societies.
Thus,
by politicians.
the administrative micro-bureaucracies may
easily become targets of government retaliation.
Most dictators well know the way the politi-
The members of these groups will be referred
cal micro-bureaucracies operate and they must
&dquo;
to as
technocrats &dquo; because, contrary to the
learn fast how to neutralize them. Emperor
policrats, they want the government or the
Hail6 Selassi6, the most enduring present chief
whole society to be run by technical experts,
of state, has maintained control over the
or in accordance with principles established
Ethiopian bureaucracy by playing the game of
by technicians.
Shum-Shir (&dquo; up-down &dquo; in Amharic), a tech-
nique of alternatively raising and lowering his
In order to operate within a minimum margin
subordinates’ status so as to maintain their
of safety, it is extremely important for the
loyalty without letting them become overly
administrative micro-bureaucracies to state
powerful.
In the Caribbean, Castro’s and
clearly their aims to government represent-
Duvalier’s militias act as auxiliary bureaucracies
atives wherever they can be found so they
to keep the formal bureaucracies loyal. The
will not be considered political micro-bureau-
excessive zeal of both militias is directed to-
cracies. This will not guarantee them govern-
ward one man, the Chief (Castro or Du-
ment support of any sort since the chief bu-
valier).
reaucratic planners of the regime will tend
to belittle the reforms proposed by the admin-
The political micro-bureaucracies should not
istrative micro-bureaucracies in order to de-
be confused with some non-western bureau-
fend and...
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