TY - JOUR
T1 - Subsidiarity in the Australian Public Sector: Finding Pragmatism in the Principle
AU - Deem, J
AU - Hollander, R
AU - Brown, AJ
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Institute of Public Administration Australia.
PY - 2015/11/20
Y1 - 2015/11/20
N2 - The principle of subsidiarity, commonly understood as the view that authority should be exercised by the lowest level of government competent to do so, is a key concept in understanding and reforming Australian federalism. In this article, we explore the way in which citizens with experience working in government react to the principle, and highlight that those with experience at different levels of government approach and value subsidiarity differently. Based on mixed-methods evidence, we propose that a pragmatic, problem-oriented approach to federalism and subsidiarity may cut through these differences, and allow policymakers to come together under a unified understanding of subsidiarity.
AB - The principle of subsidiarity, commonly understood as the view that authority should be exercised by the lowest level of government competent to do so, is a key concept in understanding and reforming Australian federalism. In this article, we explore the way in which citizens with experience working in government react to the principle, and highlight that those with experience at different levels of government approach and value subsidiarity differently. Based on mixed-methods evidence, we propose that a pragmatic, problem-oriented approach to federalism and subsidiarity may cut through these differences, and allow policymakers to come together under a unified understanding of subsidiarity.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84955183223&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/1467-8500.12175
DO - 10.1111/1467-8500.12175
M3 - Article
SN - 0313-6647
VL - 74
SP - 419
EP - 434
JO - Australian Journal of Public Administration
JF - Australian Journal of Public Administration
IS - 4
ER -