MAINTAINING A DISTINCTIVE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: THE ISLE OF MAN CIVIL SERVICE SINCE 1962

CARMICHAEL, PAUL

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, n.º 2/2002, pág. 257

Emphasis on "globalization" within academic literature is reflected in the contention within public administration that the prescriptions of the New Public Management are an inescapable fact of life from which states have little scope for resisting. However, variation persists both between and within countries. Since 1997, devolution within the UK and novel intergovernmental structures occasioned by the Belfast Agreement for Northern Ireland have transformed the territorial governance on the UK and the wider British Isles, providing further evidence of the differential impact of NMP. In seeking a better understanding of these differences, examination of the administrative arrangements of small communities or micro states can offer fascinating comparative insights into the working of larger states , especially those with whom they enjoy a direct relationship. Frequently, however, small communities are overlooked in favour of studies with more political weight. The micro states of the British Isles illustrate the point. However, with a few notable exceptions, relatively little is published. To correct this deficiency, this article seeks to explore developments in the Isle of Man, specifically its civil service. In so doing, the article aims to broaden our understanding of the changing governance not only of the Isle of Man, but also of the UK and beyond.