Download or read book Observing Government Elites written by R. A. W. Rhodes and published by Palgrave MacMillan. This book was released on 2007-11-21 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The behaviour of politicians and public servants often strikes outside observers as erratic, inconsistent and sometimes foolish. One way of understanding their behaviour is political anthropology. This book focuses on the everyday life of ministers and senior public servants in different countries, describing their world through their eyes. It analyses how such practices are embedded in political and administrative traditions. It explores how their beliefs, practices and traditions create meaning in politics and public policy making. It provides unique data on the everyday life government elites and practical advice on how to conduct such fieldwork.