Public Administration

Public Administration is established for the proper functioning of government with advancement in management and policies with a diverse scope of field of inquiry. Every nation’s public administration is linked to public policies and operates based on the country’s fundamental culture, needs and social behavior of citizens. The role of public operations is wide and varied which is expected to cover all strata of functioning right from making legislative policies to laws that affect or appease citizens, managing public programs, analyzing policies proposed or in vogue, government’s decision making steps and related functions.

Administering the non elected officials of the government is a basic function of the body and the duties performed by government representatives. It also overlooks the duties of public servants who are not part of the legislature like government officials, legal body representatives and even police officers. They are referred to as public administrators with posts like municipal budget analysts, city managers and cabinet secretaries. Public administration is a subject of vast coverage which is easier to explain than defining within certain boundaries as its reach is beyond simple terms.

The history of administering the government’s functions dates to Egypt, Rome and Greek empires where Pharaohs or Kings had treasurers and tax collectors but recruitment was a spoilt system based on patronage and favoritism. After 19^th century, it changed for good with civil servants describing job roles and reach which led to the growth of a sophisticated public administration. Woodrow Wilson is the father of public administration and its honored founder of rules in U.S. even before he became the President. He formed the science behind it with strategic steps as separation of politics and administration, comparative analysis of political and private organizations, improving efficiency of business operations and effectiveness in public service via management policies.

David Osborne and Ted Gaebler contributed to the concept of new public management in the 1990s, which favored private sector research and innovation with organizational ideas that was implemented in U.S. Bureaucracy. Citizens were encouraged to be part of the government than being just on the receiving end while government emphasized public administration through policy process that invited entrepreneurship and private governance. Criticism shrouds the new public management system that intends to treat citizens as customers just like private sectors do for means of profit but the U.S. government believes in delivering the best policy and implementing suitable practices for achieving higher results.   

Questions:

• What is effective public administration?
• How can you define public administration?