ABSTRACT
We begin with observations on legalistic and formalistic behaviors in policy change. Although the existence of formalistic behaviors has been observed before as part of “bureaucratic behavior,” this chapter renews the emphasis by noting not just their pervasiveness but the functional role that they play in shaping and organizing action—an emphasis that constrains the calculations and maneuvers of top-level policy-makers even as it ultimately provides them with a resource (the latter perspective appearing in Chapter 6). Careerists in bureaus seem not just to have used formal precedents and procedures to guide day-to-day matters but also to have adhered to them even in knowing contradiction of political directions that seem on their face to make reasonable demands. The implication is that a variety of legal considerations may strongly bound efforts by political appointees to exert informal, “political” influence over policy change. But why does the attentiveness occur among careerists?
