Bureaucratic Identity and the Resistance of Politicization

Abstract

Explanations of politicization tend to focus on historical trends, administrative traditions, and government preferences. Absent from this literature are the actions of bureaucrats themselves. Drawing on theories of employee resistance from organization studies suggesting that changes threatening the financial security and professional identity of employees may be resisted, this article explores whether bureaucrats resist, and seek to deter, efforts of politicization. Through a most likely case study design of New Brunswick (Canada), this article finds that bureaucrats not only resisted efforts of politicization but that such actions also deterred the government from making any further dismissals.