Philippine
Public
Administration
Lesson 1: Understanding
Public Administration
Introduction
Traditionally, Public Administration was considered as a part of political
science.
The modern political system is essentially ‘bureaucratic’ and characterized
by the rule of officials.
The administrative branch, described as civil service or bureaucracy is the
most significant component of governmental machinery of the state.
Introduction
•Public Administration as independent Subject of a social science has
recent origin.
•Traditionally Public Administration was considered as a part of political
science. But in Modern age the nature of state-under went change and it
became from police stale to social service state.
•As a consequence, the Public Administration, irrespective of the nature of
the political system, has become the dominant factor of life.
Introduction
•The modern political system is essentially ‘bureaucratic’ and
characterized by the rule of officials. Hence modern democracy has
been described as ‘executive democracy’ or ‘bureaucratic
democracy’.
•The administrative branch, described as civil service or bureaucracy
is the most significant component of governmental machinery of the
state.
Public Administration from different Scholars
It is part of executive branch of
government.
It is related with the activities of the state.
It carries out the public policies.
Importance It realize the aspirations of the people as
formulated and expressed in the laws.
of PA Waldo and other thinkers insist on the
commitment and dedication to the well
being of the people. Otherwise Public
Administration behaves in a mechanical,
impersonal and inhuman way.
Public Administration is politically neutral.
Dichotomy of Political science focuses on the theory and practice of government
Political and politics at the local, state, national, and international levels. We
are dedicated to developing understandings of institutions,
practices, and relations that constitute public life and modes of
science and inquiry that promote citizenship.
PA Its roots trace back to Aristotle, who saw politics as a way to help
societies achieve happiness and stability. Today, political science
studies how governments are formed, how power is distributed, and
how political decisions are made and received across local, national,
and international levels.
Political Modern political science is a broad field. It blends elements from
economics, sociology, history, and geography to better understand
Science
political behavior and institutions. Sub-fields include international
relations, political theory, comparative politics, and constitutional law.
Intersection between Political Science and Public Administration
Political science and public administration are deeply connected. One creates the
framework; the other puts it into action. Woodrow Wilson, often credited with helping
to define public administration, proposed that politics and administration serve different
functions. Political science informs decisions; public administration implements
them.
That said, the line between the two disciplines has become more flexible. Public
administrators increasingly draw on political theory to guide decisions, and political
scientists often explore how implementation affects outcomes. Together, these fields
help serve people and improve society through thoughtful governance and policy
execution.
Salford & Co.
Different Definitions of PA across
different Perspectives
Political Legal Managerial
Political definition
1.PA is what the Government Does - It is simply government doing
whatever government does—in whatever political and cultural context it
happens to exist. Public administration is the totality of the working-day
activities of all the world’s bureaucrats—whether those activities are
performed legally or illegally, competently or incompetently, decently
or despicably.
2. PA is both Direct and Indirect - It is direct when government employees
provide services to the public as varied as mortgage insurance, mail
delivery, and electricity. It is indirect when government pays private
contractors to provide goods or services to citizens.
3. PA is a phase in the public policy-making cycle - Governments are in a
constant flurry over whether to do or not to do. And whatever they do or do
not do is public policy. All such decisions (including decisions not to make a
decision) are made by those who control political power and implemented
by the administrative officers of the bureaucracy. Thus public policy and
public administration are two sides of the same coin.
Political definition
4. PA is implementing the Public Interest - Public interest is the universal
label in which political actors wrap the policies and programs that they
advocate.
5. Public Administration Is Doing Collectively - public administration is
the mature manifestation of the community spirit.
Legal definition
1. PA is Law in Action - Administration cannot exist without this legal foundation.
2. PA is Regulation - It is government telling citizens and businesses what they may and
may not do.
3. PA is the King Largesse - “The king’s largesse” is whatever goods, services, o honors
the ruling authority decides to bestow. This was the earliest meaning of public
administration.
4. PA is Theft - There are those who believe that a government should do little more than
provide police and military protection; other than that, it should not interfere—either for
good or ill—in the lives of its citizens.
Managerial definition
1. Pa is the executive function in the government - In democratic states, whether they
are republics or constitutional monarchies, it is government agencies putting into
practice legislative acts that represent the will of the people.
2. PA is a management specialty - Management refers both to the people responsible for
running an organization, and to the running process itself—the use of numerous
resources (such as employees and machines) to accomplish an organizational goal.
3. PA is Mickey Mouse - Mickey gradually gave his name to anything requiring
considerable effort for slight results. Mickey Mouse is often used to mean red tape ,
the symbol of excessive formality and attention to routine.
4. PA is art, not science, or vice versa - The administrative art comprises judgment,
panache, and common sense. But the artist is useless without tools—without the
technical skills (the science) that allow for the digestion and transference of
information. Nothing is more pointless than to argue whether the practice of public
administration is more art or science. It is inherently both.
Scope of Public
Administration
Following are the three important perspectives about the scope
of Public Administration.
1.Narrow perspective or POSDCORB perspective.
2.Broad perspective or subject matter view.
3.Prevailing view
Narrow perspective or POSDCORD perspective -
Luther Gullick is the main exponent of this perspective.
According to him the scope of public administration is narrow
or limited.
It is also regarded as POSDCORD view.
It insist that the Public Administration is concerned only with
those aspects of administration which are related with the
executive branch and its seven types of administrative
functions.
1.‘P’ stands for planning. Planning is the first step of Public
Administration. i.e. working out the broad outline of the
things that need to be done.
2.‘O’ stands for organization. It means establishment of the
formal structure of authority through which the work is sub-
divided, arranged and co-ordinated for the defined
objective.
3.‘S’ stands for staffing. It means the recruitment and training
of the staff and maintenance of favorable conditions of
work for the staff.
4. ‘D’ stands for Directing. It means the continuous task of
making decisions and embodying them in specific and
general orders and instructions, and thus guiding the
enterprise.
5. ‘Co.’ stands for Co-ordination. It means interrelating the
various parts of organization such as branches, divisions,
sections of the work and elimination of overlapping.
6. ‘R’ stands for Reporting. It means informing the authority to
whom the executive is responsible as to what is going on.
7. ‘B’ stands for Budgeting. It means accounting, fiscal
planning and control.
Broad perspective or subject - oriented perspective -
•Prof. Woodrow Wilson, L D While are main exponent of
this perspective.
•They have taken a very broad approach about the scope
of Public Administration.
Broad perspective or subject - oriented
perspective
A. Public Administration covers all three branches of the
government.
B. Scope of Public Administration is like a cooperative group
C. Public Administration is a part of the political process.
Prevailing view divides the scope of Public
Administration into two parts
1.Administrative Theory
2.Applied Administration
Administrative Theory
1.Organizational Theory -The Structure, organization, functions and
methods of all types of public authority engaged in administration,
whether national, regional or local and executive.
2.Behavior - The functions of administrative authorities and the various
methods appropriate to different types of functions. The various
forms of control of administration.
3.Public Personal Administration - The problems concerning personnel
e.g. recruitment, training, promotion, retirement etc. and the
problems relating to planning, research, information and public
relation services.
Applied Administration
1. Political Function
2. Legislative function
3. Financial functions
4. Defense
5. Educational function
6. Social welfare administration
