Core Executive Politics in the Cameron Era, 2010–16: The Dynamics of Whitehall Reform

Abstract By the early 1990s, core executive was established as ‘new orthodoxy’ in study of British government at centre. Thirty years on, this article avers that its main assumptions are increasingly questionable light more recent empirical evidence. The approach may well have outlived usefulness. This claim is derived from analysis Cameron premiership 2010 to 2016. focus on how Whitehall reform radically altered relationship between politicians and civil servants, reshaping prevailing public service bargains rules game. Ministers identified mechanisms rebuild political capacity, augmenting partisan control bureaucracy. They drew resources outside while increased their sway over appointments. As a result, officials felt they should be ‘responsive’ ministers. cumulative effect replace interpersonal institutional resource dependency with ‘them us’ model. Consequently, risk policy disasters fiascos grew.