Dr Ruth Levitt & Stephen Boys Smith on Expertise and Policy: the Rise of the Government “Tsar

3rd April 2013 Dr Ruth Levitt – Expertise and Policy: the Rise of the Government “Tsar” Stephen Boys – Expertise and Policy: the Rise of the Government “Tsar” A government “tsar” is defined as an individual from outside government who is publicly appointed by a minister to advise on policy development on the basis of […]

Policy tsars: flexibility and accountability should be compatible

18th October 2013 Posted on behalf of Dr Ruth Levitt and William Solesbury. Visiting Senior Research Fellows, King’s College London  On 15 October we launched a short and simple code of practice to secure propriety and effectiveness in the appointment and conduct of ‘tsars’ – the independent policy advisers whom ministers appoint. Until now tsars […]

Tsars: the need for better appointment practices and greater transparency

10th June 2013 Posted on behalf of Ruth Levitt This week’s news about Nick Clegg’s appointment of businessman James Caan to launch the Open Doors awards, an initiative intended to help tackle the barriers facing young people in getting jobs, again reveals the pitfalls that can arise when ministers choose too casually to appoint high-profile […]

Expertise and policy: the rise of the government “tsars”

4th April 2013 There has been an increasing reliance in government on the use of “tsars” to assist with policy-making in Whitehall. The numbers of tsars being appointed have increased dramatically since 1997: between May 2010 and July 2012, the Coalition has made 93 appointments alone. As with special advisers, the information available on these […]