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Administration and
Governance
Unit 1: Introduction to Public Administration
Contents
public Administration
Reflective questions
Guiding Questions
The first systematic approach used was studying public administration though law,
which was devoted to the legal organization of public authorities, their legal forms
of action and the limits of their power.
Later on attention has been also given to administrative system primarily concerned
with the nature of administrative institutions and administrative functions.
Generally, the expansion of government function gave raise for public
administration as an activity to become highly diversified complex and specialized.
Rapid technological development created large scale social dislocation that made
state intervention imperative and desirable.
The scientific management movement gave great impetus to the study of public
administration.
1. Definitions
1. Definitions
Administration is
cooperative human effort
obvious part of a government
Public Administration
deals with the machinery and procedures of government activities
species of administration which operates within a specific political
setting
policy decisions made by the political decision makers are carried out
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1. Definitions
Definitions from the literature:
L.D White: Public administration is detailed and systematic
execution of public law. Every particular application of law is
an act of administration
D. Waldo: Public administration is the art and science of
management applied to the affairs of the State
H. Simon: By public administration is meant in common
usage the activities of the executive branches of the
National, State and Local Governments
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1. Definitions
Public Administration is what government does:
trash collection to space exploration
regulation of complex economies to help economies move
beyond subsistence farming
biomedical technologies to census taking
The Public aspect of public administration gives the
discipline a special character.
It can be looked at formally to mean government. So, public
administration is government administration, the focus being
specifically on public bureaucracy
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1. Definitions
Political
Legal
Managerial
Occupational
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1. Definitions
How can we define Public Administration from a political
perspective?
Political: Public Administration is
a phase in the policy-making cycle
implementing the public interest
doing collectively that which cannot be done so well
individually
1. Definitions
How can we define
legal perspective?
regulation
rules and regulations
redistribution
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1. Definitions
How can we define Public Administration from a
managerial perspective?
Managerial: Public administration is ...
a management specialty
middle management: Execution and Interpretation
an art and a science
judgment, panache and common sense
technical skills
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1. Definitions
How can we define
Public Administration from a
occupational perspective?
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by
government
executives
and
Contd
Public administration
is the action part of the government
is the means by which the purposes and goals of the
government are realized
is part of executive branch of government
is related with the activities of the state
carries out the public policies
realizes the aspirations of the people as formulated and
expressed in the laws
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Dichotomy
politics and public administration are differentiated on the basis
of their institutional locations.
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Reflective questions
What are the major explanatory factors for the evolution of
public administration?
What is administration? What is public administration?
What are the differences and relationships between politics
and public administration?
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Scope
Characteristics
Pillars
Environment
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Properties
What is the role of Public Administration?
Role of Public Administration
Basis of government
Instrument of change in the society
Plays vital role in the life of the people
Instrument for executing laws, policies and programs of the
state
Stabilizing force in the society
Instrument of national integration in a country
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Properties
What is the scope of Public Administration?
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Properties
Public administration in terms of chxs
Characteristics of Public Administration
Serving the public
Based on law, rules and a regulation
Public inspection
Public censure or legislative commotion
Complexity and network of allied organizations
Responsibilities in terms of nation-building and shaping
the future society
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COND
2. External environment on the other hand is that, which is outside the control of the administration but
having major impact in shaping the features and determining the success or failures of the overall
objectives that public administration wants to achieve.
The external environment can be generalized as demographic, political, economic, natural, social,
technological and international forces, each of which reflected in many ways.
Politically, the type of government and the resultant constitution, policies, laws and directives; national
and international political trends and changes; bilateral and multilateral agreements and policies.
Demographically, the size, density, location (geography), age, sex, race, occupation and other statistical
elements of the population.
Economically, national economic trends and level of growth and development; the global market and
economic situation as well as the extent of mutual economic assistance and cooperation.
Naturally( e.g environmental issues such as pollution, energy shortages, wasting of natural resources.
Socially, population trends and changes; societal beliefs, values, attitudes, cultures, and lifestyles; public
expectations and demands;
Technologically, ability or access to use the type of technology (eg. such as in communication and
production).
Internationally, (E.g. Oil policies of OPEC practically influence the operations of much organization in
other countries which depend on oil as their main source of energy, multinational business firms.)
Contd
Environment of Public Administration
Intense / pervasive political atmosphere
Widespread expectation of benefits
Resources are diffused and dispersed
Serious problem of coordination
Diffused Roles
In the full look angrily of the public eye
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Reflective questions
What are the major characteristics and pillars of public
administration?
What are the implications of these pillars and characteristics of
public administration for contemporary public administrators?
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Contd
3. Discrimination Or Partiality
In public administration, any show of discrimination or
partiality will evoke public fault or legislative disorder. Hence,
the administrators are to be very consistent and impartial in
their dealings with the public.
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Contd
4. Complexity
Public administration, especially at higher levels of
government, is exceedingly complex. There are many pulls
and pressures, many minds have to meet and discuss,
consultations go on in several rounds of meetings before
decisions are taken. Activities in one department have
consequence that spread over several other departments.
By contrast, business administration is, generally speaking,
much more well-knit and single minded in operation. There is
much less complexity in organization and operations. The
pressures are certainly almost non-existent.
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Contd
5. Environment
Public administration inevitably operates within political
environment. It is the political context of public administration
which makes it necessary for it to lie down and adhere to elaborate
rules and regulation and comply with time-consuming procedures.
Private administration decided the course of action on the basis
of cost-benefits analysis at least, this is the belief-but in public
administration the ultimate test is political.
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Contd
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Contd
Social prestige - It may be pointed out that the public administration carries,
perhaps, a great social prestige than his private counterpart. This is because of the
greater opportunity of serving the people that the public service offers.
Personnel practices - The personnel practices in the government are elaborate and
rigid, and are even designed to serve multiple goals, thereby adding to the
complexity of the task. In Ethiopia, for instance, the public personnel practices are
based on merit and treat disadvantaged sections in the society in a special manner.
On the other hand, private administration enjoys a much larger measure of
initiative and flexibility in regard to its personnel practices.
Wide publicity- Actions and deeds of public administration are exposed to the
public notice to a degree which people in private sector can never imagine to have.
The media is ever interested in getting even the smallest details about the public
officials. Public administrations verily operate within a glass house and its
activities are all open to the public.
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Criteria
Public Administration
Private Administration
Purpose
Mode of operation
Control
Public relations
Openly discriminatory
(unequal)
Involvement
Politics
Needs political
administration
public
direction,
at
the
core
of
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Reflective questions
What major criteria are used to make distinction between
public and private administration?
What are the external and internal factors that public
administrators should know?
Why is it important for public administrators to understand
and analyze the external and internal factors? Which one do
you think is more important? Why?
Thank you
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