Pesanka_PUBA 306__Chapter 1 Assignment 1

Chapter One of our textbook is an overview of the study of public administration.

These are the five most important lessons I have learned from this chapter and why I

found them to be important.

1. Public Administration definition

Public Administration makes up thousands of jobs in industries that all

citizens rely on in our society. These industries are usually government agencies

that help administer services based off laws or community services needed based

on a national, state or local level. These include things like security, finance,

communication, healthcare and emergency management. I find that while there is

always going to be debate on how much control the government has over certain

industries, it is an important and necessary function of society to have certain

needs met through the administration of government policy.

2. Role of management in Public Administration

Public management focuses on the organizing of the services that are

being provided by their agency. Like the private sector, a manager’s role is to

steer the organization towards its fundamental goals. However, in the public

sector, managers must be aware of laws set up by the governing agency. Due to

the nature of government, and bureaucratic red tape, managers can often feel like

their hands are tied and required to make decisions even if not popular or less than

ideal. Due to our current political culture, I find it very relevant to pay close

attention to why these managers where chosen based off their political alliances.
Pesanka_PUBA 306__Chapter 1 Assignment 2

3. Politics in organizational structure

The structure of an organization can be directly tied to political motives

based on the type of work or goals set forth from the overseeing administration.

Certain policies and programs can be placed at a higher level of importance over

others and can allow for greater or more limited access for interests’ groups to

become involved. History has shown that reorganizing or even combining certain

agencies can cause conflicts. This can especially be seen on more of a local level

during times of change such as large population growth and how agencies need to

redefine their duties. We see it here in Hawaii in the means of lack of affordable

housing, and homelessness and how administration is to address these issues.

4. Checks and balances

Checks and balances are a principle developed by the makers of the

Constitution to keep governments power distributed. Each branch of government;

legislative, executive and judicial has the means to keep those divisions power in

check by making sure they are not overstepping their duties to gain more power

over the others. In my opinion, this is one of the most important concepts in

government today. Without it, we could be living in an entirely different political

system. It is important to maintain stability in government.

5. Social Change and Public Administration

The way Public Administration has had to adapt to social change can be

seen in ways of population growth, technological changes and even climate

change. More resources such as police are needed to handle growing

communities. Some areas can scale back as computers have allowed certain
Pesanka_PUBA 306__Chapter 1 Assignment 3

services to be provided online, eliminating some government positions. And

again, new staff or entire agencies may be needed to help combat the effects of

climate change. Society is changing in numbers, as well as overall changes in

social norm. For the example of climate change, the majority of citizens believe in

the science and want to protect the Planet. However, depending on the

administration views, this can sometimes be a point of contention, as we currently

see in out current administration. I think that social change has the greatest effect

on Public Administration and it is up to citizens to continue to be a part of the

democratic process to make the changes they want to see.