Review and analysis of patrimonial and meritocratic governance concepts

Abstract

A theoretical and methodological approach of the paper is the analysis of general neopatrimonial and social network theories – to understand both the dominant trend and variations in reform trajectories in Georgian civil service. This work introduces the concepts of neopatrimonialism, bureaucracy, meritocracy and informal networks examining their origins and defining characteristics. This is followed by consideration of the nature of the public sector in Georgia, exploring the implications of neopatrimonialism for public sector capacity and performance. In setting up the contrast between neopatrimonial and meritocratic bureaucracies, we have chosen to emphasize two points that lend themselves to relatively objective empirical assessment. The first is the importance of meritocratic recruitment, ideally based on some combination of education and examination, second is a predictable career ladder, which provides long term tangible and intangible rewards for those who have been recruited into the bureaucracy.