From the symbolic to the functional: The Executive Office as an expression of shared power in Northern Ireland
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24965/reala.11576Keywords:
Center of Government, Northern Ireland, decentralization, power-sharing executiveAbstract
Objectives: This article examines how the power-sharing model established by the Good Friday Agreement has shaped the institutional design of The Executive Office (TEO) in Northern Ireland. It aims to determine the extent to which its administrative configuration reflects and conditions the political dynamics of Northern Ireland’s dual executive. Methodology: The study adopts a qualitative approach based on primary institutional sources. Seven analytical categories are applied: legal framework, formal and informal functions, organizational affiliation, physical location, human resources, budgetary resources, and internal structure. Results: Findings reveal that the TEO combines a hybrid legal framework, a high level of organizational complexity, and significant administrative professionalization. Its structure reflects the logic of shared power through the collegial functioning of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister. Conclusions: The institutional rigidity derived from its political origins, together with its functional expansion and professionalized administration, makes the TEO a distinctive model of a Center of Government in decentralized systems, reinforcing executive stability within the broader framework of multilevel governance.
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