Influenced by the ideas of Max Weber, the prevailing approach
to public administration for much of the 20th century drew
on a model of bureaucracy based on the twin principles
of hierarchy and meritocracy. It was initially introduced as
part of wide-ranging bureaucratic reforms in the United
Kingdom and Prussia in the late 19th century to overcome
patrimonial systems of administration where patronage and
favouritism dominated government decisions and public
appointments. This approach had a number of distinctive
features. It relied on centralized control, set rules and
guidelines, separated policymaking from implementation, and
employed a hierarchical organizational structure (Osborne,
2006). The watchwords were efficiency and effectiveness
in the management of budgetary and human resources.