The literature on the political influence of economists mostly focuses on how economists and economic ideas have been affecting economic policies, most notably in the direction of economic liberalization. However, recent studies suggest that the influence of economists on policymaking is not only related to their ideas about the content of economic policies, but also to their ideas about the process of policy-making and the proper role of expert knowledge in that process. It has been argued that economists possess particular economic ideas of government, hold particular norms about administrative behavior that entail an activist approach to policy advice, and show a greater willingness than other professions to offer policy solutions. These ideas and attitudes, it is argued, have contributed to the shift of political power and decision-making authority from politicians towards economic experts. However, this argument has not been systematically tested. Do economists have a more technocratic attitude to policy-making than others? And does this relationship hold across departments and administrative grades?
The study aims to test this argument empirically by examining the role perceptions and attitudes of civil servants working in ministerial bureaucracies. Government bureaucrats play a central part in many accounts of the power of economists and economic ideas, given their involvement in policy formulation and key role in providing advice to ministers. The study tests whether civil servants with training in economics have a more technocratic disposition than civil servants with other educational backgrounds. The study analyzes data from the Norwegian Central Administration Survey, a large-scale survey conducted among Norwegian civil servants from 1976 to 2016. It shows that while economists are not on average more technocratic than other civil servants, the relationship depends strongly on department and administrative grade. Economists working in the Ministry of Finance and in higher administrative grades are more likely than others to hold technocratic attitudes.
