Richard Shaw is Professor of Politics at Massey University, New Zealand. His research interests focus on different facets of the advent of ministerial advisors in parliamentary democracies, and on political-administrative relations in comparative contexts.

Analyses the interaction between political and administrative executives in a variety of governmental systems

Utilizes case studies from Westminster systems, continental Europe and Scandinavia

Draws on the analysis of administrative insiders in each chapter case study

Part I: Setting the scene.- Chapter 1. In the beginning: The story of a concept (Kristoffer Kolltveit and Richard Shaw).- Chapter 2. Core executive studies in the wild (Richard Shaw and Kristoffer Kolltveit).- Chapter 3. Court politics: From metaphor to theory (R.A.W. Rhodes).- Part II: Core executives in Westminster contexts.- Chapter 4. Court politics in an age of austerity: David Cameron's court, 2010-2016 (R.A.W. Rhodes).- Chapter 5. Ireland's core executive at one hundred years of self-government: Navigating coalition, crisis and complexity(Bernadette Connaughton).- Chapter 6. New Zealand: The core within the core (Richard Shaw and Rose Cole).- Part III: Core executives in Continental countries.- Chapter 7. On a wildgoose chase? The (core) executive in Germany (Anna Hundehege and Thurid Hustedt).- Chapter 8. The Netherlands: How weak prime ministers gain influence (Erik-Jan van Dorp and R.A.W. Rhodes).- Part IV: Core executives in Scandinavia.- Chapter 9. The Swedish executive: Centralising from afar (Erik Brinde, Thurid Hustedt and Heidi HoulbergSalomonsen).- Chapter 10. The Danish core executive: From 'duopoly' to 'monopoly'? (Heidi Houlberg Salomonsen and Amalie Trangbæk).- Chapter 11. The Norwegian core executive: Baronial courts and inner circles? (Kristoffer Kolltveit and Jostein Askim).- Part V: Conclusion.- Chapter 12. Continuity and change: Explaining developments and looking to the future (Kristoffer Kolltveit and Richard Shaw).