Agencification and the 'hollowing-out' of the administrative state in Hong Kong: origin, dynamics, and consequences

Abstract

As a former British Colony, Hong Kong was once seen as a pure form of 'administrative state', with executive power being monopolized in the bureaucracy. However, 'quasi-autonomous' agencies, with statutory power, a long historical pedigree and deep-rooted embeddedness into the governing system, have been established extensively. For the past two decades, while the civil service shrunk, the public sector has been growing and developing continuously in the form of quasi-autonomous agencies in key policy areas. As a result, the post-colonial administrative state has been 'hollowed-out', with functions, authority and resources delegated to an array of 'arm's length' agencies. In the light of global experiences and local practices, this chapter examines the trend of 'agencification' in Hong Kong by analyzing the origin, dynamics and consequences of 'quasi-autonomous' agencies under the changing governance context in the colonial and post-1997 eras.