Jostein Askim

• Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Karlsen, Rune & Askim, Jostein (2023). Survey research and the scholarship on ministerial advisers. I Shaw, Richard (Red.), Handbook on Ministerial and Political Advisers. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781800886575 . s. 110–122. Vis sammendrag

  Survey methodology has been central for investigating the behaviour, roles, and motivations of ministerial advisers. This chapter looks closely at how surveys have been used in research on ministerial advisers and how it can be used to move this scholarship forward. The first part of the chapter is structured according to the process of survey research: defining the population, developing the questionnaire, and collecting and analysing data. At each step, we relate the study of ministerial advisers to the general challenges associated with doing survey research. In the second part of the chapter, we review the insights that have been gained through the use of survey methods in ministerial adviser research. The chapter concludes by suggesting avenues for further survey research on ministerial advisers.

• Askim, Jostein; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Smith, Eivind (2023). Ministerial advisers in the Scandinavian tradition . I Shaw, Richard (Red.), Handbook on Ministerial and Political Advisers. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781800886575 . s. 251–265. doi: https:/doi.org/10.4337/9781800886582.00027. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The Scandinavian countries share numerous characteristics: constitutional monarchy, parliamentary government, proportional representation electoral systems, and frequent coalition governments. When it comes to ministerial advisers, however, the differences are more striking than the similarities. Denmark has a small and functionally weak ministerial adviser cohort, while Norway and, especially, Sweden have many and strong ministerial advisers. This chapter argues that Scandinavian ministerial advisers - their numbers, location, roles, and competencies - can be seen as defensive mechanisms used to help senior politicians and bureaucrats avoid having to change much over time. The chapter compares the Scandinavian countries with an emphasis on inter-departmental coordination and coordination between politicians and bureaucrats. Empirically, the chapter rests on a study of constitutions, statutes, internal government regulations, and 21 elite interviews.

• Askim, Jostein Rosfjord; Houlberg, Kurt & Klausen, Jan Erling (2023). Local government amalgamations and pre-merger overspending: Central naivety meets local opportunism. Journal of Urban Affairs. ISSN 0735-2166. doi: 10.1080/07352166.2023.2187302. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Amalgamation of local governments is an incentive for pre-merger overspending as the costs are transferred to the merged unit of the future. The article updates application of the common pool theory to such opportunistic pre-merger behavior. It studies Norway’s reform of the 2010s and paints a uniquely nuanced picture of pre-merger overspending, comparing fiscal policies before and after enactment of the reform among merging and non-merging municipalities. It provides corroboration that local governments that are about to merge overspend prior to the merger. New insights are gained into local governments’ differential incentives to allocate overspending to capital or current expenditure, and their opportunities to act on these incentives in the final and penultimate years before mergers are implemented. New insights are also gained into the differential incentive structures of junior and senior partners to a merger. Juniors overspend the most on current expenditure, while junior and senior partners overspend equally on capital expenditure. These insights not only have theoretical value but also practical applications.

• Askim, Jostein & Johnsen, Åge (2023). Performance management and accountability: the role of intergovernmental information systems. I Teles, Filipe (Red.), Handbook on Local and Regional Governance. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 978 1 80037 119 4. s. 437–452. Vis sammendrag

  The chapter studies performance management as an integral part of local/central government relations, including the role this practice has in benchmarking, strategic planning, evaluation, policy making, and, not least, the controlling relationship between central and local government authorities. A case study of Norway’s mandatory system of local to central government reporting illustrates how local governments can measure and report comparative information about activities and performance, thus enabling openness and transparency, as well as accountability in relation to internal and external stakeholders. The chapter compares the Norwegian system with similar intergovernmental information systems in the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK; discusses the background for the adoption of such systems and consequences of their use; and provides suggestions for possible and likely future developments in the transition from new public management to new public governance.

• Askim, Jostein Rosfjord; Bach, Tobias & Christensen, Jørgen Grønnegård (2022). Political change and administrative turnover in meritocratic systems. West European Politics. ISSN 0140-2382. 47(2), s. 329–355. doi: 10.1080/01402382.2022.2148195. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  A change of government or minister constitutes a stress test for the relationship between ministers and bureaucrats. The new political masters may question the loyalty of incumbent bureaucrats and seek to replace them. However, the relationship between political changes and administrative turnover is poorly understood in meritocratic systems. This article analyses how changes of either government or minister affect the turnover of permanent secretaries in Denmark and Norway (1970–2020). Whereas ministers are completely reliant on career bureaucrats in pure meritocratic systems, they are supported by political appointees in hybrid meritocratic systems. The article investigates whether the effect of political changes on administrative turnover is mediated by the presence or absence of political appointees. Changes of government increase the risk of administrative turnover in Norway (hybrid system), but there are no such effects in Denmark (pure system), suggesting that political appointees potentially undermine the permanence of career bureaucrats.

• Askim, Jostein Rosfjord & Renå, Helge (2022). Koronakommisjonens evalueringshåndverk. Norsk Statsvitenskapelig Tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. 38(3), s. 115–122. doi: 10.18261/nst.38.3.5. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  I april 2020 nedsatte regjeringen Koronakommisjonen for å gjøre en grundig evaluering av myndighetenes håndtering av pandemien. Ett år etter forelå NOU 2021: 6 Myndighetenes håndtering av koronapandemien. Rammebetingelsene var så gode at rapporten kan betraktes som en kritisk case for god evalueringspraksis. Artikkelen legger et evalueringsfaglig perspektiv på rapporten og spør hvordan Koronakommisjonen begrunnet sine vurderende konklusjoner. Funnet er at kommisjonen mange steder er tause om hvilke kriterier de har lagt til grunn for sine konklusjoner. At det er vanskelig å ta informert stilling til om man deler eksperters vurderinger, er uheldig i en tid med økende mistro til kunnskap og faglig ekspertise. Mangelfull redegjørelse for konklusjoners grunnlag kan dessuten føre til at solide konklusjoner forkastes og at svakt funderte råd, vurderinger og konklusjoner tas til følge i senere beslutninger.

• Askim, Jostein (2022). Student Financing for Social Equity in Norway, 1947-2020. I de la Porte, C; Eydal, GB; Kauko, Jaakko; Nohrstedt, D; t'Hart, P & Tranøy, Bent Sofus (Red.), Successful Public Policy in the Nordic Countries: Cases, Lessons, Challenges. Oxford University Press. ISSN 9780192856296. s. 153–173. doi: https:/doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192856296.003.0008. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  This chapter traces the development of Norway’s higher education student financing policy programme from its genesis in 1945, through transformations including the incorporation of non-repayable grants in the late 1950s, the conversion from needs-based to universal eligibility for support around 1970 and the introduction of progression-dependent grants in the 2000s. With the student financing programme, Norway’s political leaders have sought to tackle multiple challenges, including inequalities between the rich and the poor, the urban and the rural population, and men and women. The chapter argues the programme is a success, although not a success any of the 22 governments that have come and gone since 1945 can claim for themselves. Success was enabled by governments repeatedly taking the long view and seeking political compromise solutions rather than trying to build ideological, party-political, prestige projects. As a result, governments have, in the main, incrementally changed the programme and avoided reversing past governments’ reforms. This rationalistic approach to policymaking was assisted by a long list of ad hoc advisory committees consisting of experts and interested parties providing policy proposals. The policy story, therefore, has strong elements of corporatism and evidence-based policymaking.

• Askim, Jostein & Christensen, Tom (2022). Crisis decision-making inside the core executive: Rationality, bureaucratic politics, standard procedures and the COVID-19 lockdown. Public Policy and Administration. ISSN 0952-0767. doi: 10.1177/09520767221129676. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The article explains how the unprecedented pandemic management decision to lock down the country came about, using the case of Norway and drawing on unique interview material from political and administrative executives. Urgency and precaution were the government’s primary considerations in March 2020, with proportionality and due process only peripheral decision premises. Voices of moderation were drowned out at critical moments to pave the way for a lockdown. Moreover, Norway’s lockdown decision lacked distinct and official agency, with none of the key actors able to say precisely when, where and by whom this decision of unprecedented size and scope had been taken. An interpretation using Graham Allison’s analytical models shows that the rational policy model most accurately captures the case. The suggested implication is that when senior political executives take active control of an ultra-high-stakes process, decisions are unlikely to be the product of political resultants or organisational output.

• Askim, Jostein (2022). Information Use in Public Management. I Schedler, Kuno (Red.), Elgar Encyclopedia of Public Management. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781800375482. s. 239–242. doi: https:/doi.org/10.4337/9781800375499.information.use. Vis sammendrag

  This introduction to scholarship on the use of information by public officials relies on a tradition of coupling the often overly optimistic knowledge utilization scholarship with behaviourally oriented theories of decision making and the policy process. This chapter argues that it is important to be conscious of the fact that utilization can mean many things. Also, understanding variance in use requires attention to interests, ideology and institutions. Relatedly, different types of actors – bureaucrats, politicians and collectives – can approach information quite differently.

• Askim, Jostein Rosfjord & Houlberg, Kurt (2022). The Moderating Effects of Social Norms on Pre-merger Overspending: Results from a Survey Experiment. Urban Affairs Review. ISSN 1078-0874. doi: 10.1177/10780874221090873.
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Askim, Jostein (2022). The Norwegian Core Executive: Baronial Courts and Inner Circles? Core Executives in a Comparative Perspective: Governing in Complex Times. Palgrave Macmillan. ISSN 9783030945022. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-94503-9_11.
• Askim, Jostein & Karlsson, Bendik Rød (2022). Koalisjonskontroll i praksis, fra regjeringen Lyng til regjeringen Solberg (1963-2021). Tidsskrift for samfunnsforskning. ISSN 0040-716X. 63(1), s. 5–25. doi: 10.18261/issn.1504-291x-2022-01-01. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Artikkelen studerer instrumenter for koalisjonskontroll i Norge, saerlig regjeringsavtaler og partikryssende statssekretaerer. Den spør hvordan bruken av disse instrumentene har utviklet seg mellom 1963 og 2020, og bruker blant annet regjeringsavtaler, forhandlingsprotokoller fra regjeringsforhandlinger, politiske biografier og intervjuer med tidligere regjeringspolitikere som datagrunnlag. Artikkelen finner at utviklingen i hovedsak er uavhengig av type regjering: Regjeringsavtalene blir lengre og lengre, og partikryssende statssekretaerer utplasseres i stadig flere departementer. Regjeringsavtaler er svaert viktige styrende dokumenter for koalisjonsregjeringene, som i andre europeiske land. Enkelte regjeringer, som Willoch II, har satt presedens for senere regjeringer. Videre har store og små partier i en regjering noe forskjellige preferanser: De store vil ha overordnede og generelle regjeringsavtaler, mens de mindre partiene vet at regjeringsavtalen er deres beste sjanse til å få gjennomslag for sine hjertesaker, og ønsker derfor detaljerte avtaler med tydelige løfter.

• Askim, Jostein; Houlberg, Kurt & Klausen, Jan Erling (2021). Fiscal easing in Local Governments Facing Potential Merger: Visible in Budgets or Hidden in Overruns? Public Administration. ISSN 0033-3298. doi: 10.1111/padm.12781. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Mergers incentivize local governments to ease their fiscal policies before the merger is implemented. This incentive is powerful: it is known that local governments start easing fiscal policies even before they know for sure that a merger will occur and even if merging is what they want. Based on a study of Norwegian municipalities, this article shows that irrespective of whether local governments face certain or potential mergers, their fiscal easing is manifested primarily in budget overruns rather than candidly documented in budgets. Among local governments facing a potential merger, unwilling governments ease their fiscal policies more than willing ones do and to a larger extent apply a concealment strategy.

• Askim, Jostein; Karlsen, Rune & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2021). Departementspolitikere i et politiseringsperspektiv: En studie av statssekretærer og politiske rådgivere i regjeringene Bondevik 2, Stoltenberg 2 og Solberg. Norsk Statsvitenskapelig Tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. 37(4), s. 191–209. doi: 10.18261/issn.1504-2936-2021-04-03. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Over hele den vestlige verden har det de siste tiårene skjedd en vekst i antallet politisk ansatte i departementene (departementspolitikere), noe som ofte ses på som uttrykk for politisering og et ønske om økt kontroll over byråkratiet. For å forstå omfanget av politisering er det imidlertid viktig å ikke bare fokusere på selve antallet departementspolitikere, men også på deres partipolitiske bakgrunn og på deres rolle i regjeringsapparatet og departementet, herunder deres forhold til embetsverket. Artikkelen presenterer resultater fra en omfattende studie av norske departementspolitikeres bakgrunn, funksjoner og oppgaver. Data er hentet fra spørreundersøkelser til statssekretærer og politiske rådgivere fra regjeringene Bondevik 2 (2001-2005), Stoltenberg 2 (2005-2013) og Solberg (2013-2021). Artikkelen bidrar med empirisk kunnskap om en lite studert aktørgruppe i det politiske systemet og en diskusjon av funnene opp mot det mangefasetterte politiseringsbegrepet. Artikkelen konkluderer med at departementspolitikerne politiserer departementet – ikke ved å være en portvokter embetsverket må passere for å nå frem til statsråden, men ved å ha politisk og faglig kompetanse som gjør det mulig å gå inn i saker i fagavdelingene.

• Askim, Jostein & Bach, Tobias (2021). Mellom meritokrati og politisering? En kompetansestudie av etatsledere med og uten politikerbakgrunn, 1980–2020. Norsk Statsvitenskapelig Tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. 37(4), s. 171–190. doi: 10.18261/issn.1504-2936-2021-04-02. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Artikkelen studerer tilsetting av norske toppbyråkrater i et politiseringsperspektiv og ser på sammenhengen mellom politisk bakgrunn og kompetanse. Forskningsspørsmålene er (1) om toppbyråkrater med politisk bakgrunn er bedre eller dårligere kvalifisert enn andre toppbyråkrater når det gjelder fagkunnskap og ledererfaring og (2) om de som er tilknyttet regjeringspartiene, er bedre eller dårligere kvalifisert enn de som er tilknyttet opposisjonen. Artikkelen studerer 120 etatsledertilsettinger i 48 virksomheter på fire departementsområder fra 1980 til 2020. I 14 % av tilfellene ble det tilsatt en etatsleder som hadde erfaring fra toppolitikken. Resultatene viser at etatsledere med politisk erfaring har lavere fagkunnskap enn etatsledere uten politisk erfaring, men at denne forskjellen drives av de som er regjeringstilknyttet. De opposisjonstilknyttede har ikke statistisk signifikant dårligere fagkunnskap enn de upolitiske etatsledere. Tre teoretiske perspektiver brukes til å tolke funnene. At det er få regjeringstilknyttede blant etatslederne støtter meritokratiperspektivet, men at de som er regjeringstilknyttet er relativt dårlig kvalifisert, støtter politiseringsperspektivet. At de de opposisjonstilknyttede scorer noe lavere, dog ikke statistisk signifikant lavere enn de upolitiske, når det gjelder fagkunnskap, lar seg best forklare med politikkforståelsesperspektivet.

• Askim, Jostein & Bergström, Tomas (2021). Between lockdown and calm down. Comparing the COVID-19 responses of Norway and Sweden. Local Government Studies. ISSN 0300-3930. doi: 10.1080/03003930.2021.1964477. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  This article studies the difference in the government response to COVID-19 in Norway and Sweden drawing upon theories of agenda setting, crisis management and multi-level governance. Despite having virtually identical systems of government and, initially, facing similar infection threats, Sweden opted for far less strict countermeasures than Norway. While Norway’s government response was similar to that of many European countries, Sweden received international attention for choosing befuddlingly soft measures, mostly recommendations and guidelines. This divergence is discussed vis-à-vis the multiple streams lens of agenda setting theory, highlighting differences in institutional and organisational legacies (e.g., the autonomy of government agencies) and intergovernmental relations (e.g., whether infectious disease expertise and authority is located at the local level).

• Askim, Jostein; Døving, Erik & Johnsen, Åge (2021). Evaluation in Norway: A 25-Year Assessment. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration (SPJA). ISSN 2001-7405. 25(3/4), s. 109–131. doi: 10.58235/sjpa.v25i3-4.7087. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  This article analyses the Norwegian government’s evaluation practice over the 25-year period 1994–2018. Evaluations are mandatory for governmental ministries and agencies in Norway, and the government conducts about 100 evaluations annually. This article utilises data from a unique database to describe the development in the evaluation industry, focusing on the volume of evaluations, the most active commissioners and providers of evaluations, and the types of evaluations conducted. First, the analysis indicates that the volume of evaluations peaked around 2010 and has since decreased. As a possible consequence, less policy relevant information may therefore be publicly available than before. Second, ministries have commissioned relatively fewer evaluations in the last decade than in the years before, and executive agencies commissioned relatively more. Third, consultants’ share of evaluations has risen, and research institutes’ share of evaluations has fallen.

• Askim, Jostein; Karlsen, Rune & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2021). Populists in Government: Normal or Exceptional? Government and Opposition. ISSN 0017-257X. 1(21). doi: 10.1017/gov.2021.30. Vis sammendrag

  How is government affected by including populists in a governing coalition? We investigate if populist political parties behave “normally” when they attain power, or if they govern differently from mainstream political parties. Empirically, we use survey data from 282 ministerial advisers from three cabinets in Norway. Our conclusion is that populists govern normally on some governance dimensions and exceptionally on others. Populists in office had ample professional experience, adhered to collegial decision making, and thought the bureaucracy delivered quality and was politically responsive, on a par with the non-populists. However, populists differed from non-populist politicians in their contact patterns and their communicative concerns. That populists in this context belong to a party with a long history of parliamentary representation (Norway’s Progress Party) suggests elements of exceptionalism are things one should expect to find in practically all populist parties that attain power.

• Klausen, Jan Erling; Askim, Jostein & Christensen, Tom (2021). Local Government Reform: Compromise Through Cross-Cutting Cleavages . Political Studies Review. ISSN 1478-9299. doi: 10.1177/1478929919887649. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Public sector reforms often take place in heterogeneous reform environments. Key political, administrative, and societal actors often advocate different definitions of problems and solutions. A major leadership challenge is to choose a reform strategy that ensures the requisite level of support, even when the initial conflict structure is highly complex. Using cleavage theory, we develop assumptions about how the reform leader’s assessment of the initial conflict affects the leader’s choice between three distinct reform strategies. These assumptions are applied to a case study of a complex and contested public sector reform, Norway’s national local government reform. We show how the government’s choice of a reform strategy can be understood in light of cleavage theory, and discuss the implications of these findings for further theory development.

• Askim, Jostein; Karlsen, Rune & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2020). Public office as a stepping stone? Investigating the careers of ministerial advisors. Political Studies Review. ISSN 1478-9299. s. 1–19. doi: 10.1177/1478929920906991. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Ministerial advisors (MAs) have become an essential aspect of executive branches worldwide, thus making the MA office a potential route for young politicians aspiring to an expanding political class. The article studies which professions MAs migrate to following their ministerial careers, how MAs’ post-ministerial careers compare to their pre-ministerial careers, and if the variance in careers can be explained by the resources that MAs obtain while in government. Empirically, the article draws on a cohort of 139 MAs in Norwegian governments between 2001 and 2009; it covers positions in the political sphere and the public, private and voluntary occupational sectors over a period from each MA’s youth to the end of 2017. The bibliographic data is combined with surveys and elite interviews. The results show that more than expanding the political class as a recruitment ground for future MPs and ministers, MA appointments serve as stepping-stones to careers outside of politics. Most MAs experience shifts between occupational sectors and upward to higher positions. However, MAs’ attractiveness in the labour market is surprisingly unaffected by what they actually did in office; rather, it rests on resources such as insider knowledge and networks. Keywords: Ministerial Advisors, Careers, Political Class, Revolving door, Executives

• Askim, Jostein & Steen, Anton (2020). Trading Refugees: The Governance of Refugee Settlement in a Decentralized Welfare State. Scandinavian Political Studies. ISSN 0080-6757. 43(1), s. 24–45. doi: 10.1111/1467-9477.12158. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  In a decentralized welfare state, central and local governments need each other to settle refugees. Using the case of Norway, the article studies how these interdependencies have been governed over time, including through the 2015–2016 refugee crisis. Norway's refugee settlement programme is a conscious hybrid of market and network governance and it has remained essentially stable for more than 20 years, despite several changes in government, large fluctuations in the number of refugees, and long periods of poor performance vis‐à‐vis settlement targets. This surprising programme stability is explained by a combination of extraordinary political adherence to the democratic value of local government autonomy, the cupidity of local governments, and abundant state economic resources during the period under study.

• Askim, Jostein; Blom-Hansen, Jens; Houlberg, Kurt & Serritzlew, Søren (2019). How Government Agencies React to Termination Threats. Journal of public administration research and theory. ISSN 1053-1858. 30(2), s. 324–338. doi: 10.1093/jopart/muz022. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Karlsen, Rune & Askim, Jostein (2019). Understanding reputational concerns within government agencies. Policy & Politics. ISSN 0305-5736. 47(3), s. 473–493. doi: 10.1332/030557319X15579230420144.
• Askim, Jostein; Bjurstrøm, Karl Hagen & Kjærvik, Jonas (2019). Quasi-contractual ministerial steering of state agencies: Its intensity, modes, and how agency characteristics matter. International Public Management Journal. ISSN 1096-7494. 22(3), s. 470–498. doi: 10.1080/10967494.2018.1547339. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Askim, Jostein; Hjelmar, Ulf & Pedersen, Lene Holm (2018). Turning innovation into evidence-based policies: Lessons learned from free commune experiments. Scandinavian Political Studies. ISSN 0080-6757. 41(4), s. 288–308. doi: 10.1111/1467-9477.12130. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Askim, Jostein; Karlsen, Rune & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2018). The spy who loved me? Cross-partisans in the core executive. Public Administration. ISSN 0033-3298. 96(2), s. 243–258. doi: 10.1111/padm.12392. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Askim, Jostein & Hernes, Vilde (2017). Bosetting av flyktninger: Hvem bør få siste ord - kommunene, staten eller flyktningen selv? I Askim, Jostein; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Røe, Per Gunnar (Red.), En smartere stat. Veier til bedre politikk og styring. Universitetsforlaget. ISSN 978-82-15-02707-4. s. 105–124.
• Askim, Jostein; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Røe, Per Gunnar (2017). Veier til bedre politikk og styring. I Askim, Jostein; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Røe, Per Gunnar (Red.), En smartere stat. Veier til bedre politikk og styring. Universitetsforlaget. ISSN 978-82-15-02707-4. s. 9–30.
• Askim, Jostein; Klausen, Jan Erling; Vabo, Signy Irene & Bjurstrøm, Karl Hagen (2017). Territorial upscaling of local governments: A variable-oriented approach to explaining variance among Western European countries. Local Government Studies. ISSN 0300-3930. 43(4), s. 555–576. doi: 10.1080/03003930.2017.1310102. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Askim, Jostein (2017). Decentralization as Substantial and Institutional Policy Change: Scrutinizing the Regionalization of Science Policy in Norway . Science and Public Policy. ISSN 0302-3427. 44(4), s. 546–555. doi: 10.1093/scipol/scw083.
• Askim, Jostein; Karlsen, Rune & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2017). Political appointees in executive government: Exploring and explaining roles using a large-N survey in Norway. Public Administration. ISSN 0033-3298. 95(2), s. 342–358. doi: 10.1111/padm.12272. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Political appointees in executive government have received increased scholarly attention in recent years. However, few studies have covered non-Westminster systems, and apart from classifications that systemize variation in assignments, theorizing about appointees has been limited. Using large-N survey data, the article finds three distinct roles among political appointees in Norway: ‘stand in’, ‘media adviser’ and ‘political coordinator’. The article then combines insights from research on political appointees with insights from core executive studies (CES) to explain why political appointees perform one role or another. The empirical results support the notion that roles of appointees within the core executive depend on where they sit, supporting the asymmetric power model within CES. The results also show that appointees' roles within the executive depend on their personal experience, supporting the notion of a resource exchange between ministers and their appointees in the mould of the resource-dependency perspective within CES.

• Askim, Jostein; Klausen, Jan Erling; Vabo, Signy Irene & Bjurstrøm, Karl Hagen (2016). What Causes Municipal Amalgamation Reform? Rational Explanations Meet western European Experiences, 2004-13. I Kuhlmann, Sabine & Bouckaert, Geert (Red.), Local Public Sector Reforms in Times of Crisis: National Trajectories and International Comparisons. Palgrave Macmillan. ISSN 9781137525475. s. 59–79. doi: 10.1057/978-1-137-52548-2_4.
• Askim, Jostein; Klausen, Jan Erling & Vabo, Signy Irene (2016). Kommunereformen og dens alternativer. I Klausen, Jan Erling; Askim, Jostein & Vabo, Signy Irene (Red.), Kommunereform i perspektiv. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 9788245018912. s. 275–290.
• Klausen, Jan Erling; Askim, Jostein & Vabo, Signy Irene (2016). Kommunereformen i Norge. I Klausen, Jan Erling; Askim, Jostein & Vabo, Signy Irene (Red.), Kommunereform i perspektiv. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 9788245018912. s. 25–46.
• Askim, Jostein; Christensen, Tom & Lægreid, Per (2015). Accountability and performance management: the Norwegian hospital, welfare, and immigration administration. International Journal of Public Administration. ISSN 0190-0692. 38(13), s. 971–982. doi: 10.1080/01900692.2015.1069840.
• Askim, Jostein (2015). The Role of Performance Management in the Steering of Executive Agencies: Layered, Imbedded, or Disjointed? Public Performance and Management Review. ISSN 1530-9576. 38(3), s. 365–394. doi: 10.1080/15309576.2015.1006463.
• Askim, Jostein; Karlsen, Rune & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2014). Statssekretærer i norsk politikk: De oversette maktutøverne. Norsk Statsvitenskapelig Tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. 30(4), s. 233–255. Vis sammendrag

  Statssekretærene er trolig den gruppen med mest politisk makt i Norge som vi vet minst om. I denne artikkelen forsøker vi å bøte på denne manglende kunnskapen. Med utgangspunkt i relevant teori og internasjonal forskning drøfter vi først hvorfor antallet politisk ansatte i departementene har økt, og hvilke roller statssekretærer kan tenkes å ha i regjeringer. Deretter studerer vi tre hovedspørsmål empirisk: For det første, har det vært en økning i antall statssekretærer fra 1945 til i dag? For det andre, hva slags sosial og politisk bakgrunn har statssekretærene, og har denne endret seg over tid? For det tredje, hvor omfattende er såkalt partipolitisk skygging, at man som statssekretær fra et annet parti kan gå ministeren nærmere etter i sømmene? For å belyse disse spørsmålene benytter vi i hovedsak tilgjengelige registerdata. Gjennomgangen viser at antallet statssekretærer i departementene har økt betraktelig de siste tiårene, samtidig som det har blitt færre politiske rådgivere. Når det gjelder statssekretærenes bakgrunn synes erfaring fra partiorganisasjonen å ha blitt viktigere over tid. Statssekretærenes rolle har også endret seg. I de studerte koalisjonsregjeringene har det blitt vanligere å ha statssekretærer fra et annet parti; det gjelder ikke lenger bare de viktigste departementene, men ser ut til å ha blitt normen i en rekke departementer. Overordnet kan disse utviklingstrekkene tyde på det er et økende behov for partipolitisk koordinering i norske regjeringer.

• Askim, Jostein; Eltun, Ragna & Fremstad, Eivind (2014). Mål- og resultatstyring. Riktig oppskrift for styring av statsforvaltningen? I Baldersheim, Harald & Østerud, Øyvind (Red.), Det norske demokratiet i det 21. århundre. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 9788245016147. s. 285–302.
• Askim, Jostein; Døving, Erik & Johnsen, Åge (2013). Evalueringspraksis i den norske statsforvaltningen 2005-2011. I Halvorsen, Anne; Madsen, Einar Lier & Jentoft, Nina (Red.), Evaluering. Tradisjoner, praksis, mangfold. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 978-82-450-1331-3. s. 72–88. Vis sammendrag

  Kapittelet argumenterer for at det er viktig å gjøre evaluering av offentlig politikk til gjenstand for forskning. De foreslår blant annet at en studerer nærmere hva som gjøres og hva som ikke gjøres til gjenstand for evaluering – og hvorfor, under hvilke rammebetingelser ulike evalueringer gjennomføres, og hva det legges vekt på. Med utgangspunkt i data fra Evalueringsportalen1 ser de nærmere på evalueringspraksis i statsforvaltningen og viser at det ikke er noen enhetlig praksis.

• Askim, Jostein (2013). Tilsyn ved selvsyn: Kan det fungere? Lærdommer fra den norske barnehagesektoren. Norsk Statsvitenskapelig Tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. s. 10–29.
• Askim, Jostein R. & Baldersheim, Harald (2012). Policy Learning in Local Government: The Role of Reflexive Leadership. Croatian and Comparative Public Administration. ISSN 1848-0357. 12(2), s. 319–338.
• Askim, Jostein R. & Sivertsen, Trygve (2011). Hvem tar regningen? Finansiering av reformer som vedtas på statlig nivå og implementeres i kommunene. I Smith, Eivind & Baldersheim, Harald (Red.), Lokalt demokrati uten lokalt selvstyre?. Abstrakt forlag. ISSN 978-82-7935-314-0. s. 213–232.
• Askim, Jostein; Fimreite, Anne Lise; Moseley, Alice & Pedersen, Lene Holm (2011). One-stop shops for social welfare: The adaptation of an organizational form in three countries. Public Administration. ISSN 0033-3298. 89(4), s. 1451–1468. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9299.2011.01933.x.
• Askim, Jostein & Claes, Dag Harald (2011). Part Hare, Part Tortoise - Explaining patterns in Norwegian public utilities reforms 1990-2010. Utilities Policy. ISSN 0957-1787. 19(2), s. 87–94. doi: 10.1016/j.jup.2010.12.001.
• Askim, Jostein; Christensen, Tom; Fimreite, Anne Lise & Lægreid, Per (2010). How to assess administrative reform? Investigating the adoption and preliminary impacts of the anorwegian welfare administration reform. Public Administration. ISSN 0033-3298. 88(1), s. 232–246. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9299.2010.01809.x.
• Christensen, Tom & Askim, Jostein (2009). Cross-cutting cleavages and the dynamics of public sector reform. I Roness, Paul & Sætren, Harald (Red.), Change and continuty in public sector organizations. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 978-82-450-0754-1. s. 149–168.
• Askim, Jostein (2009). The Demand Side of Performance Measurement: Explaining Councillors' Utilization of Performance Information in Policymaking. International Public Management Journal. ISSN 1096-7494. 12(1), s. 24–47. doi: 10.1080/10967490802649395.
• Askim, Jostein R.; Christensen, Tom; Fimreite, Anne Lise & Lægreid, Per (2009). How to carry out joined-up government reforms: Lessons from the 2001-2006 Norwegian welfare reform. International Journal of Public Administration. ISSN 0190-0692. 32(12), s. 1006–1025. doi: 10.1080/01900690903223888.
• Askim, Jostein (2008). Determinants of Performance Information Utilization in Political Decision Making. I Walle, Steven van de & Dooren, Wouter van (Red.), Performance Information in the Public Sector: How it is Used. Palgrave Macmillan. ISSN 9780230551978. s. 125–139.
• Askim, Jostein & Hanssen, Gro Sandkjær (2008). Councillors' receipt and use of citizen input: Experience from Norwegian local government. Public Administration. ISSN 0033-3298. 86(2), s. 387–409. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9299.2008.00722.x.
• Askim, Jostein; Johnsen, A; Johnsen, Åge & Christophersen, Knut-Andreas (2008). Factors behind organizational learning from benchmarking: Experiences from Norwegian municipal benchmarking networks. Journal of public administration research and theory. ISSN 1053-1858. 18(2), s. 297–320. doi: 10.1093/jopart/mum012. Vis sammendrag

  Benchmarking rests on the assumption that it supports organizational learning and innovation, but the empirical knowledge that underpins this perceived means-end relationship is limited. This article draws on existing research to develop a framework for analyzing organizational learning outcomes from municipal benchmarking. The framework incorporates explanatory factors at different levels (network and municipality), and with different time perspectives (past and present). Empirical results from a nationwide Norwegian benchmarking project indicate that municipalities do obtain organizational learning from benchmarking but that care must be taken when organizational learning is conceptualized and assessed. Learning should incorporate aiding agenda setting and decision making, as well as changes. Factors such as network and administrative characteristics and management and political participation are found to influence learning outcomes. There are also indications that learning from benchmarking is subject to politics. Notably, non-socialist political regimes are less receptive to organizational learning than other regimes and political competition enhances organizational learning from benchmarking.

• Claes, Dag Harald; Askim, Jostein Rosfjord; Mydske, Per Kristen & Tranøy, Bent Sofus (2007). Nettværksnæringer mellom offentlig forvaltning og privat marked. I Mydske, Per Kristen; Claes, Dag Harald & Lie, Amund (Red.), Nyliberalisme - ideer og politisk virkelighet. Universitetsforlaget. ISSN 978-82-15-01162-2. s. 128–145.

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• Askim, Jostein; Flo, Yngve; Holmøyvik, Eirik; Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Mangset, Marte & Rasch, Bjørn Erik (2024). Regjeringen: Historien, makten og hverdagen. Fagbokforlaget. ISBN 9788245040296.
• Vabo, Signy Irene; Klausen, Jan Erling & Askim, Jostein (2020). Offentlig politikk. Universitetsforlaget. ISBN 9788215031958. 264 s.
• Askim, Jostein; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Røe, Per Gunnar (2017). En smartere stat. Veier til bedre politikk og styring. Universitetsforlaget. ISBN 978-82-15-02707-4. 203 s.
• Klausen, Jan Erling; Askim, Jostein & Vabo, Signy Irene (2016). Kommunereform i perspektiv. Fagbokforlaget. ISBN 9788245018912. 323 s.

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• Askim, Jostein; Rasch, Bjørn Erik; Flo, Yngve & Holmøyvik, Eirik (2023). Hvem skal kongen ringe om Støre må gå? VG : Verdens gang. ISSN 0805-5203.
• Askim, Jostein (2023). Kunnskapsmakt på avveie: En kommentar til forholdet mellom politiet og Norsk Narkotikapolitiforening. Nytt Norsk Tidsskrift. ISSN 0800-336X. doi: 10.18261/nnt.40.4.4.
• Askim, Jostein Rosfjord; Bach, Tobias & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2022). Bureaucratic appointments, competence, and administrative dilemmas: a paired experiment with bureaucrats, politicians, citizens, and journalists.
• Askim, Jostein; Døving, Erik & Johnsen, Åge (2022). Growth and decline of government evaluations since 1960: Evaluation waves, political change, policy reforms and economy.
• Askim, Jostein Rosfjord & Bach, Tobias (2022). Hvem er tjent med at Stoltenberg blir sentralbanksjef? Aftenposten (morgenutg. : trykt utg.). ISSN 0804-3116. 163(14), s. 30–31.
• Askim, Jostein Rosfjord; Bach, Tobias & Kolltveit, Kristoffer (2021). Politisering av embetsverket: Introduksjon til et temanummer. Norsk Statsvitenskapelig Tidsskrift. ISSN 0801-1745. 37(4), s. 165–170. doi: 10.18261/issn.1504-2936-2021-04-01.
• Askim, Jostein Rosfjord; Døving, Erik & Johnsen, Åge (2020). Evaluation in Norway: A 25-Year Assessment.
• Flo, Yngve; Askim, Jostein; Vabo, Signy Irene; Fimreite, Anne Lise; Saglie, Jo & Aars, Jacob [Vis alle 7 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2019). Følgjeforskingsprosjekt kommune- og regionreforma. Eit presentasjon for embetsverket i KMD.
• Flo, Yngve; Askim, Jostein; Vabo, Signy Irene; Aars, Jacob; Klausen, Jan Erling & Fimreite, Anne Lise (2019). Følgjeforskingsprosjekt kommune- og regionreforma. Ein presentasjon for embetsverket i KMD. Vis sammendrag

  Prosjektgruppa presenterte hovudfunn frå prosjektet tett opp mot original sluttdato. Målgruppe: Delane i embetsverket i KMD som arbeider med høvesvis kommunereforma og regionreforma.

• Askim, Jostein & Houlberg, Kurt (2019). The behavioral effects of social norms on pre-merger overspending . Vis sammendrag

  There is strong support for the proposition that amalgamation reforms lead to common pool problems and incentivize local government units to overspend, or hoard, before the amalgamation is implemented. Variance in hoarding is poorly understood, though, and the existing literature offers limited help in understanding why some local governments do not hoard at all in the pre-amalgamation period, and why the hoarders do not hoard more than they do. The paper demonstrates that the rational logic to deplete the common pool is conditioned by a logic of appropriateness. Two hypotheses are tested with data from a survey experiment encompassing more than 3000 Norwegian local government councilors in the midst of nationally induced amalgamation considerations. Both hypotheses receive support: The propensity to hoard is higher when it is possible to use savings to finance the hoarding than when it is necessary to borrow money. The propensity to hoard is also higher when the others in the amalgam hoard than when they do not. The conclusion is that incentives to hoard in a pre-merger situation vary with different levels of social obligations vis-à-vis the amalgam.

• Askim, Jostein (2019). Ville stoppe kjøpefest, droppet forslag om mottiltak. [Avis]. Aftenposten. Vis sammendrag

  Intervju om økonomiske disposisjoner i sammenslåingskommuner. Askims funn lå til grunn for Aftenpostens lederartikkel 15.10.2019. URL viser til oppdatert nettversjon 15.10.2019.

• Askim, Jostein (2019). Ellevill kjøpefest. [Avis]. Aftenposten. Vis sammendrag

  Oppslag om økonomiske disposisjoner i sammenslåingskommuner. Innhold også distribuert gjennom NTB og Nynorsk pressekontor.

• Askim, Jostein (2019). Plyndrer de gamle kommunene de nye?
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Askim, Jostein & Karlsen, Rune (2018). Understanding Reputational Concerns within Government Agencies: The Importance of Individual Characteristics and Organizational Features.
• Askim, Jostein; Houlberg, Kurt & Serritzlew, Søren (2018). How Government Agencies React to Termination Threats.
• Askim, Jostein; Klausen, Jan Erling; Houlberg, Kurt & Glomsrud, Hans Rasmus (2018). Territorial Uncertainty and Hoarding. Last-Minute Spending in Local Governments Facing Amalgamations.
• Klausen, Jan Erling; Askim, Jostein; Houlberg, Kurt & Glomsrud, Hans Rasmus (2018). Territorial Uncertainty and Hoarding. Last-Minute Spending in Local Governments Facing Amalgamations.
• Dooren, Wouter van; Askim, Jostein & Walle, Steven van de (2018). Thirty Years of Performance Research at the European Group of Public Administration. I Ongaro, Edoardo (Red.), Public Administration in Europe. The Contribution of EGPA. Palgrave Macmillan. ISSN 978-3-319-92856-2. s. 113–122.
• Steen, Anton & Askim, Jostein (2018). 'Refugee-Settlement in a Decentralized Welfare State - from Soft Multi-Level Governance to Municipal Lobbying?' Paper to the ECPR General Conference, Section: Evaluating Policies of Immigrant Integration and their Outcomes. Panel:Great Expectations, Ambigious Goals and Multi Level Governance - The Outcome Gap Re-visited.
• Askim, Jostein; Houlberg, Kurt & Serritzlew, Søren (2017). How Government Agencies React to Termination Threats.
• Askim, Jostein; Vabo, Signy Irene & Klausen, Jan Erling (2017). Hvordan skal det gå med kommunereformen? Stat og styring. ISSN 0803-0103. s. 10–15.
• Askim, Jostein; Klausen, Jan Erling & Vabo, Signy Irene (2016). Kommunereform i perspektiv. I Klausen, Jan Erling; Askim, Jostein & Vabo, Signy Irene (Red.), Kommunereform i perspektiv. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 9788245018912. s. 15–21.
• Askim, Jostein; Klausen, Jan Erling & Vabo, Signy Irene (2016). Tvangstanker? Dagens næringsliv. ISSN 0803-9372. s. 33–33.
• Askim, Jostein (2015). Blir det noe av kommunereformen? Plan: Tidsskrift for samfunnsplanlegging, byplan og regional utvikling. ISSN 0805-083X. s. 10–13.
• Askim, Jostein; Klausen, Jan Erling & Vabo, Signy Irene (2014). Paradoxes of Amalgamation Reforms.
• Kolltveit, Kristoffer; Askim, Jostein & Rose, Lawrence E (2014). Knowledge, wicked problems and multi-level government: Learning in the shadow of complexity. Vis sammendrag

  The growing political science literature on wicked policy problems and multi-level government typically studies challenges related to coordination and democratic accountability. Without disputing the importance of these phenomena, this paper argues that the wicked issues literature should pay more attention to the learning aspect of policymaking: knowledge production, knowledge dissemination, and experience-based policy learning. And vice versa: The literature on learning in organizations and policy subsystems should pay more attention to learning in wicked problem processes. The limited dialogue between these literatures is surprising given that the need for information and learning must be assumed to extraordinarily high in awkwardly structured policy subsystems and issues with wicked characteristics. This paper discusses how prerequisites of ideal learning are challenged by characteristics of wicked problems and multi-level governance: the absence of shared problem frames within the policy subsystem, underdeveloped means-ends understandings, few common interests, lack of commitment to policy goals and improvement, and limits on opportunities for information exchange and reflection. Based on the theoretical exposition the paper formulates expectations about learning processes within three policy sectors in Norway – settlement of refugees, regional research policy, and urban development policy.

• Steen, Anton & Askim, Jostein (2013). Paper: 'Multi-level governance of refugee settlement: Lessons from Norways failure'.
• Steen, Anton & Askim, Jostein (2013). Paper: 'Policy-learning under multi-level governance and discrepant issue framing: Reflections based on the case of refugee-settlement in Norway'.
• Askim, Jostein & Steen, Anton (2013). Policy learning under multi-level governance and discrepant issue framing: Reflections based on the case of refugee re-settlement in Norway.
• Askim, Jostein R.; Døving, Erik & Johnsen, Åge (2012). Evalueringspraksis i den norske statsforvaltningen 2005–2011.
• Askim, Jostein R. & Pedersen, Lene Holm (2012). The Laboratory of Local Governments: Policy innovation at the interface between central steering and local autonomy: Past and present free commune experiments.
• Askim, Jostein; Døving, Erik & Johnsen, Åge (2012). Evaluation in the Norwegian government 2005-2011.
• Askim, Jostein R. (2011). Tilsyn ved selvsyn: Kan det fungere? Lærdommer fra den norske barnehagesektoren.
• Askim, Jostein; Døving, Erik & Johnsen, Åge (2011). Evalueringspraksis i statsforvaltningen 2005–2010. Vis sammendrag

  Temaet for dette paperet er hva som kjennetegner evalueringspraksis i statsforvaltningen, og hvordan statlig evalueringspraksis har utviklet seg med vekt på de siste fem årene. På grunnlag av data om over 500 evalueringsprosjekter kartlegger vi evalueringsaktivitet etter politikkområde, analyserer type evaluering innenfor disse og gir en oversikt over utviklingstrekkene.

• Askim, Jostein R. & Ohm, Helene (2010). Internkontroll og virksomhetsstyring i kommunal sektor. Revisjon og Regnskap. ISSN 0332-7795. 7(2).
• Andersen, Dag Terje; Mæland, Monica; Lundteigen, Per Olaf; Hayley, Anita Henriksen; Aarli, Ragna & Askim, Jostein [Vis alle 7 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). Dokument 18 (2023-2024) Rapport fra Utvalget til å utrede prosedyren for grunnlovsendringer. Stortinget.
• Askim, Jostein & Kjærvik, Jonas (2015). Etatsstyring i forsvarssektoren: En analyse av mål- og resultatstyringen av Forsvarsdepartementets virksomheter. 7Letras.
• Askim, Jostein; Christensen, Tom & Lægreid, Per (2014). Performance Management and accountability of welfare state agencies. The case of Norwegian hospitals, welfare and immigration administration. Ini Rokkan Centre.
• Askim, Jostein; Baldersheim, Harald; Klausen, Jan Erling; Renå, Helge; Smith, Eivind & Zeiner, Hilde Hatleskog (2013). Hvordan påvirker det statlige tilsynet kommunene og det lokale selvstyret? NIBR.
• Wike, Morten; Askim, Jostein R.; Ødegård, Paal & Bakkeland, Gunnar (2011). Hva er god forvaltning og veien dit? Undersøkelse av utvalgte forvaltningsområder i universitets- og høgskolesektoren. PricewaterhouseCoopers.
• Wike, Morten & Askim, Jostein R. (2011). Gjennomgang av tilskuddsforvaltningen i fylkeskommunene. PricewaterhouseCoopers.
• Gabrielsen, Hege; Askim, Jostein R. & Opjordsmoen, Espen (2011). Oppgave- og finansieringsansvar i statlig og kommunalt barnevern. Evaluering av forvaltningsreformen. PricewaterhouseCoopers.
• Strand, Ivar; Askim, Jostein R.; Dønnum, Helge & Gabrielsen, Hege (2011). Kommunal rapportering til staten. En analyse av kostnader og nytte. PricewaterhouseCoopers.
• Baldersheim, Harald; Rose, Lawrence E; Askim, Jostein & Øgård, Morten (2009). HVOR GODT ER LOKALDEMOKRATIET? Standarder og målemetoder for innbyggernes og folkevalgtes erfaringer og oppfatninger: Dokumentasjonsrapport fra et prøveprosjekt. Universitetet i Oslo.

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