Politicians, Administrators and the Problems of Modernization1
| Date | 01 April 1967 |
| Author | James O'Connell |
| Published date | 01 April 1967 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/j.1099-162X.1967.tb00664.x |
Politicians, Administrators and
the Problems of Modernization'
by
JAMES
O'CONNELL
ofzn,r'dO'CoIl?ell, is a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University
a an, Nigeria.
------------
:rHIS article is concerned with the problems that face politicians and admin-
Istrators in the newly independent and developingcountries in Africa.
The existing civil services in West Africa date from the colonial era.
They antecede the growth of politics in the contemporary sense of democratic
ｳ･ｾ｡ｲ
and individualist competition for the right to rule. Though important
POlitical
decisions were from time to time made in the metropolitan capitals,
rnosi colonial government consisted of rule in the different territories by
ｾｘｰ｡ｴ［ｲｩ｡ｴ･
civil servants who combined legislative, executive and judicial
fiune:uons.
With independence not only does control of the state shift from
bOreIgnerS
to native-born people but - at least in principle - it shifts from
Ｇ､ｵｲ･ｾｵ｣ｲ｡ｴｳ
to elected politicians. Yet the new states owe most of the social
thentity they possess as states to the previous unity of administration. When
the
sllla1l
power group of nationalist politicians took over government, it was
e professional administrators who maintained the continuity in the public
Se
'
.
ｾｉ｣･ｳ
that underpinned the popular consent to be ruled. And, finally,
th
IS
the civil servants who have provided legal and functional continuity in
,olse
CoUntries
where the first inflow of politicians have lost-sometimes
｜Ｗｉｾ
･ｾｾｹ
- their title to legitimacy.
u
ｏｬｩｾ｣ｳ
and administration are concerned with improving social welfare,
ｾｾｧ
law and order, and formulating and implementing foreign policy.
Th
109
out these tasks successfully is not easy in developing countries.
W' ough the governments can draw on the new pride and loyalty that come
thIth self-rule, the legitimacy of the new rulers remains fragile. The schools
r' at have begun to spread and the standards of living that have begun to
｡ｾ･
arouse expectations among large sections of the population. But expect-
III ons tend to grow faster than the economy can develop. The nationalist
is;\7e!llent added a surge of sentiment to the social cohesion that the admin-
nation
had fostered between the ethnic groups of the colonial quasi-state.
UUt
p li .
and
ｾ
ｴｉｾ
integration generally remains a problem. after independence
Co
ｴｲｉ＿ｾ
rivalry and bitterness can develop sharply
10
the course of the
thIllp
etitI\7e
modernization of communities. Education imparts skills. But
fo;
ｾｨｯｏｬｳ
are seldom geared to producing skills in the right
ｰｲｯｰｯｲｴｩｾｮｳ
als e
ｾ･･､ｳ
of the various sectors of the economy. Formal schooling
ｾ
allied
,With
other social forces, sends youths into towns faster
｡ｰｰｲ･ｾ･
rudimentary facilities to absorb them can expand. People learn to
ｾ
the value of money and accept the inducement of
wages.
Trad-
A1See Jo-c . I
C\Utull1n' onnell
'The
concept of Modernization' Atlantic quarterty,
LXIV
1965,
121
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