The government - The civil service

5 important questions on The government - The civil service

Most senior positions in the civil service have 3 benefits.

  1. Get high salary (higher than the minister of the department)
  2. Absolute job security
  3. Stand a good chance of being awarded an official honour.

How come it is often possible for the civil service to exercise a lot of control over their ministers and it is sometimes said that they govern the country?

Being in the civil service is a career. Its most senior positions are usually filled by people working in it 20 years or more. These people;
  • get a higher salary;
  • have absolute job security;
  • stand a good chance of being rewarded an official honour.

Who is the "Permanent Secretary"?

The most senior civil servant in a government department (when a new government comes to power, the civil service remains = permanent presence))
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What is the most powerful weapon of the civil service?

It has a largely deserved reputation for absolute political impartiality. The main hope for top civil servants is to continue staying out of politics. This means they can be trusted in a way which personal advisers cannot.

Why is the influence of the Civil Service less than before the second half of the 20th century?

Ministers appoint experts from outside of the civil service to work on various projects, and their own political advisers to work alongside their civil servants.

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