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. (H. Simon)
2) It is the composite of the laws, regulations, practices, codes and customs
for the execution of public policy (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.
 Peculiarities of Public Administration
1) It is unavoidable.
2) It can compel obedience.
3) The communal activities carried out by PA have priorities.
4) In carrying out its communal activities, PA provides citizens
with a wide range of services.
5) PA is directly responsible to political leadership, for its top
management is political.
6) The political nature of PA and the kind of communal activities n
involved make judgment of performance extraordinarily difficult.
7) Citizens expect more from PA than of other kinds of
administration.
 Factors Influencing the Growth of
Public Administration
 People want more out of life and they want to share in the
latest advances in knowledge.
 Other societal institutions which previously performed the
task of public administration have been declining in influence
and PA has to fill the gap.
 Technology made big government possible.
 Thepublic in whose name public administration is
conducted demands higher quality performance and better
public services.
 WHY STUDY PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION ?
To stress the ability to speak and write effectively, clearly, precisely and
concisely.
To develop intellectual, research and practical tools.

To acquaint the student with the literature of the field

To promote an awareness of the importance of public administration, its
operations, traditions, practices and embosied values and trends.
To link thediscipline with other disciplines, show the connections between
them, and compare and contrast their different approaches.
 why study PA……
 To emphasize realism, the pragmatic-empirical foundation of the subject matter, and the dynamic nature of PA

 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.

 To prepare students for public employment by encouragement and inspiration, guidance in the values of the administrative
culture, acculturation, simulation and acquaintance with PA.
 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 and legal and they
are often overlapped.
A. The Managerial Approach to Public Administration

 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]
Approaches to pa……..
B. The Political approach to public administration
 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 than 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
Approaches to pa….
C. Legal approach to public administration
 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
adversary procedure {this structure that help to oppose an argument or competing with an argument}

 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