Concept information
Preferred term
theories of delegation
Definition
- Delegation of power is a ubiquitous feature of political life at all levels, reflected in the delegation of governing powers from electorates to legislatures (in democratic systems); from legislatures to governments (in parliamentary systems); from legislatures and governments to various nonmajoritarian institutions such as independent regulatory agencies, central banks, and courts; and in international politics, from states to international organizations, courts, and tribunals. Such diverse acts of delegation raise two fundamental questions for political scientists: First, Why delegate? Why do political “principals” ever delegate power and authority to “agents”? Second, How can political principals, whether electorates or legislatures or states in the international system, control the discretion of their agents such that those agents will use their powers in the interests of the principals and not their own private interests? Contemporary theories of delegation in political science have drawn largely, though not exclusively, from the rational-choice tradition and in particular from principal-agent analysis. [Source: The Encyclopedia of Political Science; Delegation, Theories of]
Broader concept
Belongs to group
URI
https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/theories_of_delegation
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