Question

Difficulty: EasyControl of Civil Service and Bureaucratic Problems

Match each institutional control mechanism over the civil service with its corresponding method of administrative oversight:

  • Legislative ControlQuestioning ministers and examining departmental expenditure through public accounts committees.
  • Judicial ControlIssuing prerogative writs such as mandamus and certiorari against illegal administrative decisions.
  • Executive ControlFormulating policy guidelines, appointing senior administrative heads, and issuing departmental directives.
  • Public Complaints CommissionInvestigating citizen petitions regarding administrative injustice, victimisation, and bureaucratic high-handedness.

Answer

Legislative Control matches questioning ministers and examining departmental expenditure; Judicial Control matches issuing prerogative writs such as mandamus and certiorari; Executive Control matches formulating policy guidelines and appointing administrative heads; Public Complaints Commission matches investigating citizen petitions regarding administrative injustice.
Each mechanism corresponds directly to its constitutional channel: Legislative control operates through parliamentary committee scrutiny and financial audits; Judicial control relies on prerogative court orders; Executive control functions via ministerial leadership and administrative directives; and the Public Complaints Commission functions as the statutory Ombudsman for citizen grievances.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary mechanism used by the legislature to control bureaucratic activities.
Matched with questioning ministers and committee financial scrutiny.
Parliament enforces accountability by auditing public spending and summoning ministers.
2
Identify the judicial mechanism for correcting civil service errors.
Matched with issuing legal writs like certiorari and mandamus.
The judiciary acts when administrative decisions breach legal mandates or violate citizens' rights.
3
Identify the direct political authority over administrative departments.
Matched with executive directives and appointment powers.
Ministers and cabinet officers lead departments through administrative policies.
4
Identify the specific role of the Public Complaints Commission.
Matched with investigating complaints of bureaucratic injustice.
The Ombudsman provides accessible redress for citizens aggrieved by civil service arbitrariness.

Key Concept

Control Mechanisms of the Civil Service
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