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The chapters in this book representing Russia, Poland, Estonia, Romania, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Slovenia provide good examples of the development of political executives and their support services in the Central and Eastern European countries. The studies illustrate the interplay of politico-administrative roles over time and provide an insight into the impact of structural differences and diverse administrative traditions. There are also interesting comparative examples from Western Europe, namely Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland and Sweden, that illuminate both the similarities and differences of the efforts of executives to enhance their own capacity as a result of changing environments. The majority of the studies presented in this book examine attempts on the part of chief executives to enhance their ability to contribute effectively to the governance of their societies. These efforts involve not only strengthening the capacity for political powers and political enforcement through support structures and new coordination procedures, but also the policy analytic capacity of these offices. These studies also demonstrate the barriers that chief executives, even those in seemingly powerful positions, encounter when attempting to govern from the centre. They further point to the thin line that can exist between the professionalization of policy in these offices, and its politicization. These studies therefore are useful both to students of governing, and practitioners of that art, as they struggle to find ways of making governments both be effective and respond democratically to the demands of the public.

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