Administrative Law and Bureaucratic Autonomy in a Comparative European Perspective

Book chapter, 2025

How does administrative law shape various forms and degrees of bureaucratic autonomy? This chapter delves into that question by discussing some core features in the legal frameworks for administrative action in four major administrative traditions: the Napoleonic, Scandinavian, German, and Anglo-American. Specifically, the present work problematises the concept of bureaucratic autonomy in light of judicial review, personal liability, rule-making authority, and legal systems more broadly. The chapter intends to contribute to a cross-disciplinary discussion between political scientists, lawyers, and scholars of public administration on the important interaction of bureaucratic politics and legality, and to the wider discussions about institutional continuity and change, and how these aspects influence contemporary bureaucratic behaviour and latitude for action.