Ups and downs of maritocratic principles of public policy Cover Image

Zasady merytokratyczne w polityce państwa - wzloty i upadki
Ups and downs of maritocratic principles of public policy

Author(s): Krzysztof Jasiecki
Subject(s): Politics, Public Administration, Public Law
Published by: Szkoła Główna Handlowa w Warszawie
Keywords: sociology; public policy; meritocratism; legitimacy; state

Summary/Abstract: The author analyses the factors that weaken the influence of the principles of meritocracy on the institutions and public policy. He indicates that a meritocratic approach to governance in the programming of public actions has become a resource for obtaining legitimacy of power in Poland to a limited extent. The advantages of meritocracy (the "efficiency" and "justice") have not been exploited on a significant scale. As a result, there is a significant illegitimacy of the democratic system, as well as the weakening of the society identification with the state. This phenomenon is characterized by low prestige of politicians and a poor voter turnout. The author draws attention to the fact that meritocratic management mechanisms of public institutions in Poland are significantly reduced due to numerous factors - the appropriation of the state by political parties, institutional nomadism of the elite, the rules of political capitalism, a soft state and the institutionalization of non-responsibility or activities of various interest groups and backstage actors of politics.

  • Issue Year: 11/2016
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 9-40
  • Page Count: 31
  • Language: English, Polish