Lecture 20: The New Zealand Public Sector

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the organizational structure, core conventions, and historical evolution of the New Zealand public sector and public service as discussed in the lecture.

Public Service

The ministries and departments, such as the Ministry of Social Development or the Department of Corrections, located at the center of the public sector model with the least autonomy from the government.

Free and frank advice

Objective, nonpartisan advice provided by public servants to the government regarding the implications of briefings or decisions, regardless of the government's political expectations.

Public Service Commission

A central agency responsible for the appointment and review of public service chief executives and for investigating departmental performance.

Neoliberalism

An ideology advocating for a free market or market-orientated approach to the economy that led to the marketization of New Zealand state activities like education, health, and justice starting in 1984.

Political neutrality

The expectation that public servants remain nonpartisan and serve the government of the day without serving the specific interests of the political parties comprising that government.