The machinery of government means the interconnected structures and processes of government, such as the functions and accountability of departments in the executive branch of government. The term is used particularly in the context of changes to established systems of public administration where different elements of machineryFor example, a Number 10 Press Notice on May 5, 2006 was entitled Machinery of Government changes in announcing the creation of a new department of the British Government, accessed at ^* June 12, 2006 are created.

The phrase “machinery of government” is thought to have originated with John Stuart Mill in Considerations on Representative GovernmentMill, J.S. (1861) Considerations on Representative Government, Chapter V; editions include Kessinger, ISBN 0766188981; text accessed at University of Texas at Austin June 12, 2006 (1861). It was notably used to a public audience by President FD Roosevelt in a radio broadcastRoosevelt, F.D. Fireside Chat broadcast September 30, 1934 accessed at Mid-Hudson Regional Information Center [http://www.mhric.org/fdr/chat6.html June 12, 2006 in 1934, commenting on the role of the National Recovery Administration (NRA) in delivering the New Deal. A number of national governments including those of Australia, Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom have adopted the term in official usage.

For example, the South African Government has published a handbookThe Machinery of Government: Structure and Functions of Government (2003), Department for Public Service and Administration, South Africa accessed at ^* June 12, 2006 entitled “The Machinery of Government: Structure and Functions of Government” which aims to describe the Government’s entire structure including "other important bodies such as parastatals, statutory commissions, public entities, and research institutions."

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