So What? Why Should Political Scientists Care About Bureaucratic Reputation?

Abstract

So what? Why should political scientists care about bureaucratic reputation? Bureaucratic reputation has been a topic of growing interest among political scientists. Why are political science scholars -much like brand managers in the private sector- concerned with the ‘brand’ and the ‘image’ of organisations? Is this an exercise in frivolity or does it tell us important things about bureaucracies and the outcomes of their actions? Beyond communication and reputation management strategies, what are the consequences of a bureaucratic reputation approach? What does it tell us about the authority, the accountability, the legitimacy and responsiveness of the bureaucracy, and its political support? Should we be concerned with the outcomes of reputation and reputation management in shaping audience perceptions? We welcome empirical, theoretical/conceptual as well normative papers that focus on the political outcomes and effects of bureaucratic reputation/reputation management.