TY - JOUR
T1 - Coping with the Unforeseen
T2 - Bounded Rationality and Bureaucratic responses to the Covid-19 crisis
AU - Christensen, Jørgen Grønnegård
AU - Mortensen, Peter Bjerre
PY - 2024/3/1
Y1 - 2024/3/1
N2 - The outbreak of COVID-19 unleashed a severe crisis in society. The suddenness and speed with which the disease spread into a global pandemic makes it an outstanding case for showing how bureaucracy acts in response to a crisis marked by uncertainty and urgency. This article focuses on the role played by the central government bureaucracy in preparing and enacting the Danish government's response to the COVID-19 crisis. It is based on full access to internal government files related to crisis management during the winter and spring of 2020. These files include memos, e-mails, decision notes, and draft decisions from key civil servants. The article demonstrates the strength of the theory of bounded rationality when it comes to analyzing the interaction between top civil servants and political executives. Moreover, it shows how administrative and political executives can mold a governmental organization to overcome the inertia inherent in bureaucratic organization and procedures.
AB - The outbreak of COVID-19 unleashed a severe crisis in society. The suddenness and speed with which the disease spread into a global pandemic makes it an outstanding case for showing how bureaucracy acts in response to a crisis marked by uncertainty and urgency. This article focuses on the role played by the central government bureaucracy in preparing and enacting the Danish government's response to the COVID-19 crisis. It is based on full access to internal government files related to crisis management during the winter and spring of 2020. These files include memos, e-mails, decision notes, and draft decisions from key civil servants. The article demonstrates the strength of the theory of bounded rationality when it comes to analyzing the interaction between top civil servants and political executives. Moreover, it shows how administrative and political executives can mold a governmental organization to overcome the inertia inherent in bureaucratic organization and procedures.
KW - Bureaucracy
KW - bounded rationality
KW - politics
KW - public organizations
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85174358584&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S0143814X23000284
DO - 10.1017/S0143814X23000284
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0143-814X
VL - 44
SP - 24
EP - 43
JO - Journal of Public Policy
JF - Journal of Public Policy
IS - 1
ER -