sectorgovernment

Sectorgovernment is a term used in political science to describe a form of public governance in which authority and administration are organized around economic or functional sectors rather than territorial jurisdictions. In a sectorgovernment, policy making and implementation are conducted by sector-specific agencies or ministries that oversee a defined domain such as energy, transport, health, or industry, often supported by sector-specific budgeting and regulation.

Structures commonly associated with sectorgovernment include sector ministries, independent regulators, sector councils with representation from industry and labor, and cross-sector coordination bodies to align policy goals across related sectors. Policy instruments tend to be specialized within each sector, with regulatory regimes, procurement rules, and planning documents focused on sector performance and outcomes.

The term is not universally standardized and is often used in discussions of corporatist or sectoral planning models. It appears in analyses of historical corporatist states as well as modern administrations that emphasize policy expertise and sector-specific administration. In practice, sectorgovernment concepts can describe systems where governance relies on professional specialization within sectors, while still operating within a broader constitutional framework and with intergovernmental or interdepartmental coordination.

Advantages of a sector-based approach include deeper policy expertise within each domain, clearer accountability for results within sectors, and the potential for coherent long-term sectoral planning. Challenges include coordination across sectors, potential policy silos, risks of industry capture, and difficulties addressing cross-cutting issues such as climate change, equity, or national resilience that cut across multiple sectors.

See also corporatism, sectoral planning, and bureaucratic governance.