Machinery of government
The Machinery of Government (sometimes MoG) 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 machinery are created.
The phrase "machinery of government" is thought to have originated with John Stuart Mill in Considerations on Representative Government (1861). It was notably used to a public audience by President FD Roosevelt in a radio broadcast 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.
Australia
In Australia, the terms ‘machinery of government changes’ and ‘administrative re-arrangements’ are interchangeable and are used to refer to the changes to the structure of government and the allocation of government functions between departments and ministers.