Lecture 1: Definition and Context of Public Administration

CHAPTER 1: PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: CONCEPTS, APPROACHES AND CONTEXT

CONCEPT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION:

Public administration is a subfield of political science that focuses on the organization and operation of agencies charged with the administration of governmental tasks. It is both the process of implementing government policy and an academic field that studies and prepares civil servants for careers in the public sector.

As a multidisciplinary subject of study, its "basic purpose is to enhance management and policies that enable government to function." Public administration is primarily concerned with the organization of government policies and programs, as well as the behaviour of officials (who are typically not elected) who are formally accountable for their actions.

    1.    Government is responsible for public administration.

• While public administration as a profession has created ideals and ethical standards, as an activity, it merely reflects its society's cultural norms, beliefs, and power realities.

• Public administration encompasses all of the world's bureaucrats' day-to-day actions, regardless of whether they are legal or illegal, competent or stupid, decent or nasty.

    2.    Public administration encompasses both direct and indirect administration.

• Direct - services such as mortgage insurance, mail delivery, and energy are provided directly.

• Indirect - when the government pays private companies to provide citizens with products and services (space shuttle, dams).

    3.    Public administration is a stage in the cycle of policymaking.

• Public policy is made up of decisions and non-decisions.

• The administration does not end with implementation, as there will always be someone who believes it could be done better.

    4.    Public administration is the process by which the public interest is realized.

• The public interest is a universally recognized good.

• As administrative discretion grows in response to legislative ambiguity, the anonymous administrator's role becomes one of defining the public interest.

• The public interest is a blanket term that political players use to describe the policies and initiatives they favour.

Public administration encompasses all activities aimed at implementing or enforcing public policy. On the other side, public administration, as defined by Woodrow Wilson, is the systematic and comprehensive execution of the law. Additionally, public administration can be defined as the implementation of policies, practices, rules, and regulations.