Philosophies

of
Public Administration
GRACE B. BELLEZA
Student
 INTRODUCTION: THE PUBLIC INTEREST
 Public administration is a broad field that covers the administrative services needed
to help build and strengthen society.
.
 Public administration is vitally concerned with the efficiency and economy. By
spending least resources, the administration becomes result-oriented and Productive.
Alongside this efficiency approach, there has been growing Concern about what may
broadly be Called ‘morality’ or ‘ethics in Public administration.
Philosophies of Public Interest fall broadly into classes:

 Intuitionism
 Perfectionism
 Utilitarianism
 Theory of Justice
INTUITIONISM
 The administrator Chooses on alternative by intuition- a Solution which
seems to him the right course of action under the given circumstances.
PERFECTIONISM
 The view of the administrator here is that Public interest should be the
Standpoint of promotion of excellence in all spheres of social activities.
Public resources should be spent in such a way that the best members of
the society benefit most from the expenditure. Thus perfectionism is an
elitist Policy and is not compatible with democratic society.
UTILITARIANISM
 A utilitarian-administrator is of the view that public interest is served
when a Public policy makes as many as possible better-off even though
it may render a few worse off. Public interest is judged by the
argumentation of the net balance of the social satisfaction.
THEORY OF JUSTICE
 This theory has two principles. The first principle is that each Person is to
have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with
similar liberty for others. The other principle postulates that public
Policies public policies are reasonably expected to be everyone’s
advantage and public positions and offices are open to all. In case of
conflict between these principles, the second Principle is expected to
Prevail and give way to the first. These Principles provide an operating
logic for the determination of public interest by the decision makers.
 THE 4 CORE VALUES OF
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
 PROFESSIONALISM
 ETHICS
 ACCOUNTABILITY
 OBJECTIVITY
 PROFESSIONALISM
 Being a public administrator comes with a degree of prestige because
of the public spotlight. Therefore, public administrators must always
act professionally. Anything they do can damage their reputation. This
is the first core value and means dressing appropriately and acting
fairly to the public. Professional values incorporate character traits
such as responsibility, dependability, efficiency, competence,
objectivity, and confidence.
 ETHICS
 After professional values comes ethical values. Public administrators must act with
integrity in all of their doings to earn public trust. Integrity means always being
honest and fair, whether it is with neighbors, friends, or businesses. Everything a
public administrator does and says can be looked upon by the public. Many public
administrators have been caught deceiving the public or acting unethically, and it
often ruins their careers. Public administrators must always show integrity and be
mindful of laws and regulations. They must not use their power in the wrong way. If
you want to become a public administrator, you must be willing to be under constant
scrutiny by the public.
 ACCOUNTABLITY
 Public administrators are employed by the public and held accountable for their
words and actions. Democratic values involve accountability and dependability.
Essentially, this means being professional in all ways and doing what you say you’re
going to do. Without accountability, public trust cannot be established. Additionally,
public administrators need to ensure the public has access to information by being as
transparent as possible. It is the goal of public administrators to serve the public, not
keep secrets from them. All decisions must be diplomatic and with the public’s best
interest in mind.
 OBJECTIVITY
 Objectivity is the last public administration core value. It entails
respect, equality, and fairness. It doesn’t matter whether someone has
money or not, they must be treated fairly. Discrimination plagues the
world, and it is a public administrator’s job to make sure that the laws
created do not infringe on any person’s rights. Everyone should be
treated equally and with respect.
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION THEORY

 Public Administration Theory is the amalgamation of history,

organizational theory, social theory, political theory and related studies
focused on the meanings, structures and functions of public service in all
its forms. It often recounts major historical foundations for the study
of bureaucracy as well as epistemological issues associated with public
service as a profession and as an academic field.
 THREE TYPES OF PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION THEORY
Public Administration Theory recently has been divided into three branches. The three
branches are:

 Classical Public Administration Theory

 New Public Management Theory
 Post-modern Public Administration Theory

Each of these three branches study Public Administration from a different perspective. These
types of theories are some of the ways which an administrator can understand and exercise
their duties as a public administrator.
CLASSICAL PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION THEORY

 Classical Public Administration is often associated with Woodrow Wilson

 and Max Weber. In the United States, Woodrow Wilson is known as 'The
Father of Public Administration' , have written "The Study of
Administration" in 1887, in which he argued that a bureaucracy should be
run like a business. Wilson promoted ideas like merit-based promotions,
professionalization, and a non-political system. Sympathy can lead to
downfall in an administration, means there should be pragmatism in
bureaucracy.
 NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT THEORY
 New Public Management a set of administrative practices, a consulting fad, and a body of
theory that interprets recent developments in public administration. Many scholars argue
persuasively that scholars should pay more attention to New Public management as a theory
than as a fad. 

 New Public Management is part and parcel of the massive intrusion of free market values
into public space, which threatens to drive out political values altogether. In this sense, new
public management is the radical opposite of the notion of migrating political values into
"private" space in the interest of further democratizing society.
 NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT THEORY
 However, new public management theory fails to addresses political questions in a
meaningful way. This theory looks at public administration from its roots of capitalism, and
goes on through the perspective of global capitalism. Intentional or not, new public
management has served the interests of elites, particularly corporate elites, has degraded the
ability of governments to address the public interest, and has served as a vehicle for
elevating the apolitical governance of free trade and other supranational organizations, which
have fully embraced the political philosophy of economic rationalism and new 
managerialism.
 POST-MODERN PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION THEORY
 Post-modern public administration is referring to the inner workings of nearly every
government entity in existence. Whether it is the congress men and women in Washington
D.C. or the Department of Public Safety representatives located at any DPS office handling
the paper work of applicants wanted to obtain a drivers license. The idea of public
administration is broad enough to encompass all government positions that affect the public.
Members of public administration come in different forms and quantities. When
understanding the theory of postmodern public administration, it is important to make a
differentiation between postmodern theory and the postmodern era as well as being able to
differentiate between post-modernity (period of time) and postmodernism
 (theory/philosophy).
Theoretical Foundation
of
Public Administration
VIEWS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AS A
FIELD OF PRACTICE
 According to Waldo (1955), PA has dual usages: as a field of practice and a field of study.
The meaning invoked is the activity or process of administering public affairs and carrying
out governmental functions.

EXAMPLE OF PA PRACTICES

 Enacting a law
 Making decision on the best policy concerning an issue
 Formulating the MTPDP
 Maintaining peace and order
 Processing of claims
 Building Roads and bridges
 Issuance of License
 Setting standard and processes
VIEWS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AS A
FIELD PRACTICE
 Tendero (2000) explained about processes in the continuing changes in a society. What
direction is our society being headed to? How to confront the various conflicts and
problems? Who should be responsible?

AREAS OF CONCERN

 AGENDA – Absence of a blueprint reflects lack of vision

 POLICY – Absence of consistent framework spells success or failure
 PLANS & PROGRAMS – Absence of a plan leaves the fate of society to chance, a
possibility of hit and miss in operations and will show ineffectiveness.
VIEWS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AS A
FIELD OF STUDY OR DISCIPLINE
 PA is concerned with discovering and advancing theoretical and practical knowledge in the
field using scientific methods and other sciences use.

 PA differs from political science in its emphasis on bureaucratic structure and behavior and
its methodologies (Rossenbloom, 1989)

EXAMPLE OF PA AS A FIELD OF STUDY/DISCIPLINE

 Empirical Studies
 Case Method Analysis
 Surveys
 Quantitative Analysis
SUBJECT MATTER THAT ARE FOCUS TO BE
STUDIED BY PA
 How a policy is made and implemented
 The interrelationship between government institutions
 Human Resource Development
 Impact of Environmental Regulation on Communities and Economic
activities
 Leadership Style of Public Managers
 The relations of Government and the Citizens
 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

OCCUPATION/PROFESSION ACADEMIC FIELD

TEACHING RESEARCH
VIEW OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AS AN ART
AND A SCIENCE

AS AN ART:

 PA involves creativity, leadership, a good sense of the intangibles in

Administration. This view is closely to the practice of PA.
VIEW OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AS AN ART
AND A SCIENCE
AS A SCIENCE:

 There is a body of knowledge or theories that can explain or predict

phenomenon or variables in the field of PA
 The PA theories and concepts are built based on empirical research
using systematic methods
 These theories can be used not only to explain but also improve the
art and practice of PA. (Bautista, 1990)
DEFINITION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Waldo, 1955
 PA is the organization and management of men and materials to achieve the purposes of
government
 PA is the art and science of management as applied to the affairs of the state

Caiden, 1971
 is a cooperative group effort in a public setting
 covers all three branches – executive, legislative and judicial and interrelationships  has important
role in the formulation of public policy and is , thus, part of the political process
 as a field of study and practice , it has been influenced by human relations approach
 is closely associated with numerous private groups and individuals in providing services to the
community
DEFINITION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Fry, 1989
 PA is policy-making. It is not autonomous, exclusive or isolated policy making.  PA is one of a
number of basic political processes by which this people achieves and controls governance

Rossenbloom, 1989
 PA is the action part of government. The means by which the purposes and goals of government are
realized. PA as a field is mainly concerned with the means for implementing political values
 PA differs from political science in its emphasis on bureaucratic structure and behavior and its
methodologies
 PA differs from administrative science in the evaluative techniques used by non profit organizations
because profit- seeking organizations are considerably less constrained in considering public interest
in their decision-making structures and the behavior of their administrators
DEFINITION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Rossenbloom, 1989
 The process of PA consists of the actions involved in effecting the intent or desire of a government .
It is thus the continuously active, “business” part of government, concerned with carrying out the
law, as made by the legislative bodies (or other authoritative agents)and interpreted by courts,
through the processes of organization and management.
De Guzman, 1993
 From a very broad perspective, PA may be viewed to refer not only in activities carrying out or
implementing policies and programs of the government but also to the processes and contents of
these policies and programs  From a broader perspective, PA may refer to the cooperative human
action whether within the public bureaucracy, the private sector or in nongovernmental
organizations aimed at delivering services to the people.
 QUIZ
1-2. What is Public Administration? (2 pts)

3-6. Enumerate the 4 classes of Philosophies of Public Interest.

7. In this philosophy, the view of the administrator here is that Public interest should be the
Standpoint of promotion of excellence in all spheres of social activities.

8-11. Enumerate the four (4) core values of Public Administration.

12-13. Define Public Administration Theory. (2 pts)

14-16. Give the three (3) types of Public Administration Theory.

 QUIZ
17. According to ___________, PA has dual usages: as a field of practice and a field of
study. The meaning invoked is the activity or process of administering public affairs and
carrying out governmental functions.

18-19. Give at least 2 examples of PA practices of Public Administration as a field of

Practice.

20. In this field, PA is concerned with discovering and advancing theoretical and practical
knowledge in the field using scientific methods and other sciences use.
21-24. Enumerate the four (4) examples of PA practices of Public Administration as a field
Study or Discipline.

25-26. Give at least 2 examples of subject matter that are focus to be studied by PA.
 QUIZ
27-28. PA as an (27) ________ involves creativity, leadership, a good sense of the intangibles
in Administration. This view is closely to the practice of PA while PA as a (28) _________
theories and concepts are built based on empirical research using systematic methods.

29. According to _______, PA is policy-making.

30. Under the Inter-disciplinary Interface of Public Administration Law, In what field does
Management belongs?
Thank you!