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Four pillars of public administration
An essay on public administration
Public administration in modern society
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The development of Public Administration as an academic Discipline
2. Foundation Phase of Public Administration
First Public Administration was started at only one university and when time goes on it started to spread across the world wide and also it was then available at the universities around the world.As we know that Public Administration as a discipline has originated at the United States.The study of public administration it was written by Woodrow Wilson and this may show that public administration originated from political science.
There is also a thing about what can government do to improve the quality of life/needs of the people around the world wide.Admnistration is a part of government.Wilson also provided the rationale for public administration to be and academic discipline and professional speciality.The work of government could be divided into decision making and execution.Not everyone is interested in studying public administration.
As we all see that public administration is important to be used because we seek service delivery from government.Public administratin must provide and also increase its services to the people.History of public administration can be linked to the theory of knowledge because public administration is everywhere in the world.The history of public administration is focused to improve/change thins globally.
The government services are increasing as well as public administration is in work.Public administration is facing to change each and every problem it comes across in the society.Wilson has found that American government are joined with gorvernments for the pursuit of common purposes(as cited in Stillman,2005,page 15).Wilson has distinguish between political and administration.
The...
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... government to deliver service delivery to people in the different communities.Government has to provide people with their needs.
The government increase as the public administration was working.There was a division of workers in order to improve service delivery to local government and municipality so that those ones can deliver service delivery to its community members.Later on the study of pubic administratio started to be introduced on other Universities across the world wide.
References
Du Toit D.F.P & Van der Waldt G. (1999).public administration and management:the Grassroots.2nd ed.Cape town:juta & copany limited
Foundation of Public Administration:A comparative Approach by Peter Harris
Public Administration by Urmila Sharma,S.K Shama
Public Administration:concepts and theories S.P Naidu,New age international,2005
Walker, L. (1989). Woodrow Wilson, Progressive Reform, and Public Administration. Political Science Quarterly, 104(3), 509-525.
As many scholars before him and many after him, Woodrow Wilson was a reformist, in that, he endeavored to change the way the government operated (Buck, Cox, Morgan, p. 5). He demanded the efficient operation of the government. He was actually one of the first politicians who specifically asked for efficiency. It was during the Progressive Era, a time of major change. Developments in trade and working conflicts were on the rise as well as the demand for services provided by government. All of this change happening so quickly also jumpstarted an increase in corruption and a continuing loss of values among the people. The spoils system, introduced by President Andrew Jackson, was prevalent. Per the spoils system, party loyalists were given administrative jobs regardless of qualifications or training. This combination of things prompted Wilson to question the development of the government in terms of handling these changes so as to maximize efficiency and utilization of resources. He analyzed the then current power regime, found them lacking in skill and corruptible, and offered suggestions to better the system and prevent future corruption. In response to the spoils system, Wilson demanded that there be a separation of politics and administration which he hoped would liken the government to corporations. With ‘The Study of Administration’ (1887), Wilson supplied the first published essay on public administration and established himself as a foremost authority in this field. In this essay, Wilson publicly launched the idea of government as administration.
The main aim of public service is to deliver services that are of need to its people. How fast a public manager can address its people’s problem and concerns indicates its effectiveness. Responsiveness of the manager develops trust between him, the government, and the people. According to (Rainey, p106) bureaucratic responsiveness implies two things; responsiveness to the people’s wishes or responsiveness to the interest of the government.
Woodrow Wilson’s purpose in writing “The Study of Administration” is to bring awareness that the government systems in place need to be re-evaluated and improved. Wilson encourages we need to examine the history of administration set forth by others in determining certain needs to be accomplished in effective ways and methods. Wilson’s desirable outcomes for research within the public administration field are for government systems to become more productive and organized.
As, Goodnow has iterated the functions of politics communicate and addresses the state’s will however, he articulates that there is no boundaries or limitations to one or more authorities when managing politics, thus eluding to no appointed organization who handles political matters and the interest of the people. Perhaps, a contributing factor to complexities in the political and government systems and the functional roles of politics and administration. Woodrow Wilson essay “The Study of Administration,” he stresses that government systems and methods are in need of great improvement. (Woodrow. 1887) However, Wilson believes politics should be separated from administration, for administration should be a “field of business.” (Woodrow. 1887) Possibly speaking, if administration was separated would politics become more organized and an authority given to
“If you can write it and you can say it, you can do it.” In a single sentence Professor Eric Claville succeeded in attracting me to the study of public administration. Sitting in Introduction to Public Policy class, I was instantly fascinated by the idea that through effective communication I could improve policies and programs to better serve the public. Professor Claville’s lessons enabled me to think analytically as I developed a scholarly policy brief entitled “Enforcing a State-wide Texting While Driving Law in Arizona”. Soon, I was faced with the notion that public administration was not only an agent for change, but a tool to fulfill my passion. It is a possible pathway to take on a leadership role that would make a difference for disadvantaged groups.
In the future I would like to see myself, as a continuously promoted public official who could possibly become a pro-active politician in today’s demanding political arena. To achieve this, I would like to gain more knowledge which can help me reach intellectual maturity to the latest practices adopted in the field of Public Administration. My desire for self-development in this area and curiosity to learn past and contemporary developments in different societies will help me to solve the problems easily.
Public Administration involves the development, implementation and management of policies for the attainment of set goals and objectives that will be to the benefit of the general public. Since Public Administration involves taking decisions that affect the use of public resources there is often the question of how to utilize public resources for maximum public good. The National Association of Public Administration has identified four pillars of public administration: economy, efficiency, effectiveness and social equity. These pillars are equally important in the practice of public administration and to its success. This paper seeks to explain the role of each of the pillars in the practice of public administration.
According to Sapru R.K. (2008) p370-371 the traditional ideal of public administration which inclined to be firm and bureaucratic was based on processes instead of outcomes and on setting procedures to follow instead of focusing on results. This paradigm can be regarded as an administration under formal control of the political control, constructed on a firmly ranked model of bureaucracy, run by permanent and neutral public servants, driven only by public concern. In emerging nations the administration was true bureaucracy meaning government by officers. In this perspective Smith (1996) p235-6 perceived that“the bureaucracy controls and manages the means of production through the government. It increases chances for bureaucratic careers by the creation of public figures,demanding public managers, marketing boards.
Traditional public administration is traced back to the works of scholars like Max Weber, Woodrow Wilson and Fredrick Taylor. This form of administration was mostly influenced by Max Weber with his bureaucratic model and theory. Max Weber was a well-known sociologist born in Germany in the year 1864. He came up with his bureaucratic model as a way to trying of improve management in organizations.
Public administration as a field of study and as a practice has continually evolved with American society. The United States has survived and thrived through major cultural shifts, varying degrees of economic climates, and both civil and world wars. Through out all these changes in our country, one thing has always remained the same, the fact that we are an ever evolving and always changing nation. Theories and forms of practice of public administration have also evolved parallel with the history of the United States. There have been numerous events in American history have lead to changes in society and the practice of public administration has both led and followed in the adaptation process of such monumental changes.
Since its emergence as a field of study, there have been some important contributions to public administration. Its goal has always been to improve productivity which then improves workplace performance. All of the contributions have been aimed at completing the work with the highest level of efficiency and at the lowest cost.
Max Weber, Henri Fayol and Luther Halsey Gulick all addressed issues, concerning how an overall organization should be structured, bureaucratic administration, while Frederick Taylor’s theory of scientific management concentrated on techniques for increasing production (Tomkins, 2005). This essay will focus on the disadvantages and the advantages, including the effective and efficient components, of bureaucracy in public management.
In the political approach, political authority is divided between a central government and the provincial or state governments. This means that some provinces or states are accorded a substantial measure of constitutional or legal sovereignty, although they still remain subordinates of the central government in certain constitutional or legal respects. The political approach promotes the political values of military strength, economic development, union, and representation. In addition, it is characterized by three central features: state sovereignty, bicameralism, and multiple layers of representation.
Public sector reforms adopted in a number of countries such as USA, UK and New Zealand in the last fifteen years and characterised by efficiency units, performance management, contracting out, market type mechanisms, and agency status have come to be known as the New Public Management or NPM. Appearance of the NPM as shifting the paradigm from the old traditional model of administration has been promoted by a remarkable degree of consensus among the political leadership of various countries and is presented today as the major tool for public sector management reforms.