SW 237.
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: ITS NATURE, MEANINGS, APPROACHES, EVOLUTION &
DEVELOPMENT.
MEANINGS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION.
1. It refers to the activities of the executive branches of the national state and local government units.
According H. Simon.
2. It is the composite of the laws, regulations, practices, codes and customs for the execution of public
policy, according to L. White.
3. It is a cooperative group effort in a public setting.
4. It covers all the three branches (executive, legislative and judiciary)) and their relationships.
5. It has an important role in the formulation of public policy, thus, part of the political process.
6. It is closely associated with numerous private groups and individuals in providing services to the
community.
Next topic. PECULIARITIES OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION.
1. It is unavoidable.
2. It can compel obedience.
3. The communal activities carried out by P.A have priorities.
4. In carrying out its communal activities, P.A provides citizens with a wide range of services.
5. P.A is directly responsible to political leadership, for its top management is political.
6. The political nature of P.A and the kind of communal activities n involved make judgment of
performance extraordinarily difficult.
7. Citizens expect more from P.A than of other kinds of administration.
Topic.
Factors influencing the growth of public administration.
1. People want more out of life and they want to share in the latest advances in knowledge.
2. Other societal institutions which previously performed the task of public administration have been
declining in influence and PA has to fill the gap.
3. Technology made big government possible.
4. The public in whose name public administration is conducted demands higher quality performance
and better public services.
Topic. WHY STUDY PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION?
1. To stress the ability to speak and write effectively, clearly, precisely and concisely.
2. To develop intellectual, research and practical tools.
3. To acquaint the student with the literature of the field.
4. To promote an awareness of the importance of public administration, its operations, traditions,
practices and embodied values and trends.
5. To link the discipline with other disciplines, show the connections between them, and compare and
contrast their different approaches.
6. To emphasize realism, the pragmatic-empirical foundation of the subject matter, and the dynamic
nature of P.A.
7. To educate for intelligent citizenship, to promote increased participation in public affairs, to create a
better understanding of the national culture and dominant social values, and to develop future public
leaders.
8. To prepare students for public employment by encouragement and inspiration, guidance in the values
of the administrative culture, acculturation, simulation and acquaintance with P.A.
Topic. APPROACHES TO PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION.
There are three disparate approaches to deal with the basic question of what public administration is.
These approaches are traditionally labeled as managerial, political, legal. historical, institutional and
behavioral and they have often overlapped.
a. managerial approach.
This approach focuses on the three core values of public administration: maximization of effectiveness,
efficiency and economy. Thus, this approach is oriented to minimize the distinctions between public
administration and private administration.
the managerial approach to public administration focuses on the organization based on Max Weber's
ideal type bureaucracy (bureaucratic organization.
this approach tends to promote an impersonal view of individuals whether individual may be an
employee or a client or a victim of a public agency. [Dehumanization i.e. lack of pity, sympathy,
kindness, nepotism, and other type of favor towards people].
b. political approach.
The political approach considers public administration to be an integral part of the political process,
political nature of public administration and the role of bureaucracy in making public policies.
It advocates a different set of values that of managerial approach. It stresses the political values of
representativeness, (political) responsiveness and (political) accountability through elected officials to
the people. [I.e. public administration should be organized around these political values].
It emphasizes that public administration should reflect the values, interests and competing
forces/diverse groups to be found in a plural society. The political approach to public administration
views individuals as part of an aggregate/organized group. It tends to identify an individual's interest
which is similar and identical to those of others within the same group.
c. legal approach.
The legal approach to public administration embodies/represents three values: Procedural due
process (can't be confined to any single set of requirements), individual substantive rights (real or
fundamental rights of individuals) and equity/fairness.
The legal approach advocates Adjudicatory structure {formal legal structure) since it tends to
maximize the use of legal procedure.
it considers the individual as a unique person in a unique set of circumstances. The procedure
(adversary procedure) enables an individual to explain his/her own unique and particular
circumstances, his/her thinking, and motivation to the governmental decision makers /
administrators.
d. historical approach.
the theorists of the historical approach believe that knowledge of history is essential for a thorough
study of any field. The historical approach sought to explain the administrative institutions in the light
of their past.
it analyses the administrative institutions by tracing their development within a particular time span.
Therefore, this approach organizes and interprets the information relating to administrative institutions
in a chronological order.
e. institutional approach.
the institutional structural approach studies public administration in a formal manner. What is the
formal structure of public institutions and what tasks have been given to them – these things are
ascertained by the followers of this approach. Like the legal approach, this is a very old approach. This
is the oldest approach in the history of public administration. The biggest drawback of this approach is
that it does not give an accurate knowledge of the behavioral form of an organization.
And f. behavioral approach.
Dissatisfaction with the institutional-structural approach increased, and as a result a behavioral
approach was developed in the study of public administration. This approach was born in the fourth
decade of this century. Its organization focused on the actual conduct and behavior of individuals and
groups. Through this method public administration has emphasized the adoption of empirical approach.
It is also called ‘social psychological’ method.
Next topic. PARADIGMS & IDENTITY CRISIS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION.
Paradigm 1: Politics-Administration Dichotomy from 1900-1926.
Paradigm 2: Principles of Administration from 1927-1937. THE CHALLENGE (1938-1950)
Paradigm3: Public Administration as Political Science from 1950-1970.
Paradigm 4: Public Administration as Administrative Science from 1950-1970.
Paradigm 5: Public Administration as Public Administration from 1970 onward.
Next topic. IDENTITY CRISIS ISSUE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION.
CAUSES OF THE IDENTITY CRISIS.
1. definitional problems.
2. scope and boundary disputes.
3. politics-administration dichotomy.
4. science-art controversy.
5. means-end controversy.
Number 1. definitional problems.
-no precise or accurate definitions of P.A. According to Caiden.
- contradictory definitions of P.A.
- PA is concerned only with policy implementation versus P.A as concerned with
implementation.
Different scholars coming from other social science disciplines defined P.A differently.
- is it a requirement for becoming a separate discipline to have a precise definition of P.A?.
Number 2. politics- administration dichotomy.
-separation of power.
- check and balance.
-political neutrality versus filipino culture.
- presidential versus parliamentary system.
- PA relationship with P.A and political science.
-Is it applicable to philippine setting?.
- is it necessary to resolve it for P.A to become a separate field of study?.
Number 3. science-art controversy.
-it is both a science and art.
- as a discipline, it is a science, but as a profession, it is an art according to Waldo.
-science is concerned with true or false.
-Science is concerned with the application of scientific methods and thesis writing.
- Art is concerned with value judgement.
- value judgement is concerned with right or wrong.
- it is an art because P.A deals with people, i.e., flexibility in using style of leadership.
- it is more of one than the other.
Number 4. means-end controversy.
-P.A is either or both a means or an end.
- P.A is a means towards development.
- P.A is an end in itself and it need to strengthen its administrative capability.
- P.A must have the minimum administrative capability in order to become an effective means
towards development.
- P.A as a means or end is related to development administration.
- P.A may be similar or different from development administration.
Next topic.
EVOLUTION OF THE FIELD OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION.
The Discipline of P.A can be divided into two major Phases or Periods.
1. the traditional/classical phase. From the 1800s to the 1950s.
2. the modern phase. From 1950s to the present.
Number one. The Traditional phase.
-According to the book of Leonard White “Introduction to the Study of Public Administration
(1926) ” P.A can be a “VALUE-FREE” science and could be studies using SCIENTIFIC
METHOD; and the mission or values of PA are ECONOMY and EFFICIENCY.
-As discipline, P.A was viewed during this period as a “sub-field of Political Science.
-According to Frank Goodnow in his book “Politics and Administration (1900), there are two
distinct functions of the government: POLITICS which “has something to do with policies or
expression of the state will” and ADMINISTRATION which “has to do with the execution of these
policies”.
- The principle of SEPARATION OF POWERS among the three branches of the government
(Executive, Legislative and Judiciary) provided the basis for this distinction.
Subtopic.
W. WILSON'S POLITICS-ADMINISTRATION DICHOTOMY.
-In the United States, the origin of P.A as a distinct field of study can be traced to the article of
Wilson in 1887 “The Study of Administration” published in the Political Science Quarterly.
-Wilson suggested the separation of politics from administration or what is known as politics-
administration dichotomy.
-The emphasis of the politics-administration dichotomy was on LOCUS or “where is P.A?” and P.A
is in the executive branch of the government.
-P.A is defined as the implementation of policies or the Executive branch of the government in
action.
- During this period, Weberian Rational Bureaucracy was also very popular.
Second subtopic.
-Weber introduced the various fetures of his BUREAUCRACY such as:
hierarchy. Division of labor. Formal written rules and regulations. And impartiality or impersonality
or neutrality.
Third subtopic.
Henry Fayol's 14 management principles were also very popular during this period such as the :
division of labor, authority and responsibility, discipline, unity of command, unity of direction,
subordination of particular to general interests, remuneration, centralization,hierarchy, order, equity,
stability of personnel,esprit d' corp and initiative.
-During the Traditional phase,the SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT of Frederick Taylor replaced the
“Rule of Thumb” in managing organizations. Among the principles or features of Taylor's Scientific
Management include:
1. “One best way” of managing organization.
2.division of labor.
3. time motion study.
4.Functional foremanship.
5. economic incentives as motivating factors.
Next topic. THE MODERN PHASE From the 1950s to the present.
Under the modern phase, it has four periods.
1. development administration. 1950 to 1960.
2. new public administration. 1960 to 1970.
3. new public managementand reinventing government. 1980 to 1990.
4. public administration as governance. 1990 to present.
Subtopic.
Number one. The development administration. 1950 to 1960.
-DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION or D.A. refers to developing countries largely found in
Asia, Latin America and Africa.
-D.A. is the engineering of social change. Landau.
- D.A. is not merely addressing the state functions such as public service delivery and
enforcement of laws but also the inducement and management of change to pursue development
objectives. Gant.
Pre-subtopic.
ASSUMPTIONS of D.A. Khator, 1998.
-Development needs are the most important needs of developing countries.
-The development needs of developing countries and developed countries are inherently different.
-Development can be administered.
- Development know-hows are transferable; and
-The political, social and cultural context of development can be easily altered.
Second pre-subtopic.
According to F. Riggs,
D.A has two major ASPECTS or FACES.: Development of Administration and Administration of
Development.
-Most scholars focus on the “administration of development” which suggests that DA can be defined as
the “management of innovations”.
- Western countries provide grants and aids to developing countries for nation building, economic
development, institutional strengthening and people participation in development.
- Since the purpose of development is to steer developing countries to economic development and
social progress, DA became closely associated with foreign aid and Western models of development.
Third pre-subtopic.
PROBLEMS RELATED TO DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION.
1. Lack of well-experienced administrators or highly developed technocrats.
2. Lack of modern management techniques.
3. Poor methods adopted in planning budgeting & policy making.
4. procedural delays.
5. Lack of sufficient discipline & commitment to plan/program implementation.
6. Poor direction, coordination & relationship between the generalists & the specialists.
7. Poor organization of public enterprises, government departments & other agencies of the
government.
8. Existence of traditional attitudes, customs, inappropriate languages, & religious beliefs.
End of PROBLEMS RELATED TO DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION.
Back to the subtopic under the modern phase.
Number two.
NEW PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION from late 1960s to 1970s.
- It rejects the classical theories of PA like the politics-administration dichotomy.
- It rejects the values of effectiveness, efficiency and economy.
- It adds social equity as a new P.A principle according to Frederickson.
- It also questioned the relevance of tradtional PA in responding to technological advancement.
- It rejects P.A as a “value-free” science and neutral.
- It promotes social equity and good management as the new values to be achieved by the
government.
- It called for a client-oriented administration, non-bureaucratic structures, participatory decision-
making, decentralized administration and advocate administrators according to Frederickson,
Nigro, etc.
- In the Philippines, NEW PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION is relevant to the Philippines because it is
compatible with our environment, and stimulated our country to accept CHANGE, the essence of
NPA according to N. Pilar.
subtopic under the modern phase.
NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT AND REINVENTING GOVERNMENT From 1980s to
1990s.
-NPM Movement had been long practiced by the European countries in the late 1970s and 1980s
such as UK during the THATCHER GOVERNMENT.
- It was also adopted by the members of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) such as New Zealand, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands and Canada in the 1980s.
- NPM was successfully applied by New Zealand in its administrative reforms such as privatization,
more performance oriented govt., and reengineering of depts.
Subtopic.
New Public Management NPM.
- according to Pollit, NPM is shifting to the MANAGERIALIST Movement with the following five
CORE BELIEFS:
1. The main route to social progress depends on economic productivity;
2. Increased economic productivity is influenced by technological advancement;
3. Application of sophisticated technologies can be achieved with well-disciplined labor force;
4. Management is a separate governmental function; and
5. Managers must be given more discretionary power.
Next. Reinventing Government...
-REINVENTING GOVERNMENT was advanced by Osborne and Gaebler in 1992 during the
Clinton Administration. It provided 10 Principles:
1.Catalytic Government: Steering rather then Rowing
2. Community-owned government: empowering rather than serving
3. Competitive government: injecting competition into service delivery;
4. Mission-driven government: transforming rule-driven government;
5. Results-oriented government: funding outcomes, not input;
6. Customer-driven government: meeting the needs of the customers not their bureaucracy;
7. Enterprising government rather than spending;
8. Anticipatory government: prevention rather than cure;
9. Decentralized government: from hierarchy to participation and teamwork; and
10. Market-oriented government: leveraging change through the market.
Next subtopic.
Reinventing Government was criticized mainly for treating people as “customers” rather than as
citizens, and as an end instead of a means. Based on this, Denhardt 2003 suggested the
following:
1. Serve citizens , not customers;
2. Seek the public interest;
3. Value citizenship over entrepreneurship;
4. Think strategically, act democratically;
5. Serve rather than steer; and
6. Value people, not just productivity.
Last subtopic under the modern phase.
Public Administration as GOVERNANCE from 1990s into the 2000s.
“The GOVERNANCE Paradigm was popularized by international organizations such as the UN,
Worl Bank, ADB, etc.
-Governance “is an institutionalization of a system through which citizens, institutions,
organizations and groups in a society articulate their interest, exercise their rights, and mediate
their differences in pursuit of the collective good” (ADB).
-From Governance, “Good Governance” becomes popular as a the new indicator of development.
- It is believed that “when there is good governance, there is sustainable development”.
- Good governance is perhaps “the most important factor eradicating poverty and promoting
development”. (Kofi Annan, former UN Sec Gen).
- The elements of Good Governance are TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY,
PARTICIPATION and PREDICTABILITY.
Subtopic. E-GOVERNMENT.
-ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT or e-gov has emerged with the adoption of the more advanced
computer based ICT.
-ICTs have improved the generation,sharing and use of information and knowledge, and to induce
collaboration across different boundaries within and among nations.
- E-gov has addressed some of the goals of NPM, reinvention and governance such as freer access
to government information, online transaction with agencies and better public service delivery.
Subtopic.
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF DEVELOPING NATIONS.
1. Low levels of living characterized by low incomes, inequality, poor health & inadequate
education.
2. Low levels of productivity.
3. High population growth & dependency burden.
4. High unemployment & underemployment levels.
5.Too much dependence on agricultural production & primary product export.
6. Prevalence of imperfect market & limited information.
7. Dominance, dependence & vulnerability to int’l. Relations.
Subtopic.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
Indicators.
1. GNP or GDP.
2. Rate of Savings & investment.
3. Levels of Living.
4. Income & Employment Rate.
5. Inflation Rate.
6. Foreign Debt Level.
7. Balanced of Payment.
8. Prices of commodities.
9. Food production level.
10. Birth Rate.
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT.
INDICATORS:
1. Degree of People participation.
2. Strength of democratic institutions.
3. Peace & order Condition.
4. Crime Rate.
5. Political strength of the Traditional elite.
6. Degree of Administrative Efficiency.
7. Degree of freedom of the opposition & press.
8. Degree of national integration.
9. Degree of modernization of outlook.
10. Degree of centralization of political power.
11. People trust & confidence in the government.
12. Political strength of the military.
MODELS OF DEVELOPMENT.
1. W. Rostows “Take-Off”.
2. M. Todaro’s “Dominance-Dependency” Theory.
3. Hammarskjold “Towards Another Development”.
OTHER MODELS.
1. classical.
2. neo-classical.
3. maoist.
4. marxist.
5. capitalist.
6. basic needs.
Next topic.
STRUCTURALIST.
1. rejects the comparative advantage.
2. state intervention necessary.
3. development constraintscoming from outside.
Next. MAOIST.
1. Material abundance.
2. Abolition of income inequality.
3. increased capital accumulation.
NEXT. Basic needs model.
1. Elimination of poverty & unemployment.
2. Use of low-cost and labour intensive methods.
Next. MARXIST MODEL.
1. Closed interconnection of socio-economic & political factors.
2. Anti-capitalism.
3. Development as historical progression.
Next topic.
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES & CHALLENGES IN THE PHILIPPINES.
-Covid 19 Pandemic.
Invasion of Ukraine.
Unstable peace and order condition.
Very high crime rate.
Culture of corruption.
Terrorism.
Lost of public trust.
Shift from presidential to parliamentary system.
Climate Change.
Federalism.
Military control.
Poverty.
War on Illegal Drugs.
Territorial Disputes with China.
