A1 Journal article (refereed)
”Meillä ei ole politiikkaa valtionavustuksissa!” : virkakunnan valta kulttuurihallinnon valtionavustusjärjestelmässä (2021)
”We have no politics involved in government subsidies!” : civil servants as political actors within the system of cultural administration

Jakonen, O., & Sokka, S. (2021). ”Meillä ei ole politiikkaa valtionavustuksissa!” : virkakunnan valta kulttuurihallinnon valtionavustusjärjestelmässä. Politiikka, 63(3), 285-310. https://doi.org/10.37452/politiikka.101896

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Jakonen, Olli; Sokka, Sakarias

Journal or series: Politiikka

ISSN: 0032-3365

eISSN: 2669-8617

Publication year: 2021

Volume: 63

Issue number: 3

Pages range: 285-310

Publisher: Valtiotieteellinen yhdistys

Publication country: Finland

Publication language: Finnish

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37452/politiikka.101896

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/77854

Abstract

Our article examines cultural policy as a significant organizational structure exerting public power with its policy instruments. State subsidies are some of the most integral instruments of Finnish cultural policy. Our focus is on the allocation of state subsidies and the exercise of power by civil servants in the different parts of the allocation process. !e current procedures include practices from different paradigms of public administration and individual officials have the best knowledge of how different parts of the system function. Allocation of state aid is not a linear administrative process, but a continuous, cyclical political activity linked to different, overlapping stages and steering methods of public administration. According to our analysis, individual officials have the potential to influence the functioning of the cultural policy system in several ways, from strategic planning and policy preparation to evaluation and guidance. !e power relations are however not one-way, for example, civil society actors continue to have effect on administration

Keywords: cultural policy; cultural administration; steering systems; government transfers and grants; public administration; central government; decision making; exercise of power

Free keywords: cultural policy; administrational politics; policy instrument; state subsidy policies; government steering system

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2021

JUFO rating: 2