GERMAN REGIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE ELITES, NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT AND THE ROLE OF THE STATE IN THE ECONOMY.

The article examines the attitudes of German regional administrative elites towards government-based and market-based economic policy, as compared to administrators in other European Union (EU) member states. According to the authors, German administrators hold centrist views in comparison to others in the EU. It is suggested that civil servants prefer market-based solutions in good economic conditions. The role of New Public Management (NPM) reform in policy attitudes is discussed.