Public Administration

ENGR. SAMI ULLAH KHAN BABAR

 Introduction

Public administration
 Detailed and systematic execution of public law. Every particular
application of general law is an act of administration. ( Woodrow Wilson)

 The art and science of management as applied to the affairs of state.

(Dwight Waldo)

 Administration has to do with getting things done, with the

accomplishments of defined objectives. (Gullick)

 Administration is the activities of groups cooperating to accomplish

common goals. (Herbert Simon)
 Origin and Growth

Stage 1
 Birth of public administration
 Woodrow Wilson – The study of Administration (1887)
 Politico-administration dichotomy
 “lies outside the proper sphere of politics.”
 Goodnow endorsed Wilsonian theory of dichotomy – Politics and
administration (1900)
 Politics has to do with policies or expression of the state will and
administration has to do with the execution of these policies.
 Dr. L.D. White – introduction to the study of public
administration (1926)
 Origin and Growth

Stage 2
 Continuation of Politico-administration dichotomy
 Scientific Approach to study public administration
 Scientific management
 FW Tylor

 Henry Fayol

Stage 3
 Reaction to scientific management
 Hawthorne experiments – Elton Mayo
 Functions of executive – Chester Bernard
 Origin and Growth

Stage 4
 Rejection of politico-administrative dichotomy and classical
administration principles
 Herbert Simon and Robert Dahl
 Widened the scope of public administration by including psychology,
sociology, economics and political science.
 Robert Dhal identified the fact that administration is affected to a great
deal by psychology

Stage 5
 Post War developments
 Public and private administration emerged
 FW Riggs – the ecology of public administration (1961)
 Origin and Growth

Stage 6
 New Public administration
 Relevance
 Values
 Equity
 Change

Stage 7
 New Public service
 Democratic theory
 Dialogue about shared values
 Role of Public Ad

Why the need of Public administration

 Expanding the welfare role of government
 Increasing efficiency of public sector organization
 Industrial revolution
 Great depression

Role of public administration

 Good governance
 Optimum utilization of resources
 Policy formation
 Grass root information of needs and requirements – Management
 Environment protection
 Socio-economic development
 Maintenance of peace and order
 Meritocracy
 Development administration
 Scope of Public Ad

The diversity of views in defining public

administration confronts also in defining the scope
of Public administration
 Two views
 A. Managerial view
 B. subject matter view

Managerial view
 POSDCORB
 LUTHER GULLICK
 WILLOUGHBY
 Scope od Public Ad

SUBJECT MATTER VIEW

 Integral view
 Professor Pfiffner divided the scope of P.A in to two categories
 A. Principles
• Organization
• Management
• Method and procedure
• Material and supply
• Public finance
• Administrative accountability
 B. Sphere
• Central government, state governments, local governments and public corporation

 Walker divided the scope into two categories

 A. Administrative theory
 B. Applied administration
 Issues in Public Administration
1. Democracy versus bureaucracy
Bureaucracy Democracy

In Bureaucracy, the bureaucrats are elected through established In Democracy, the leaders are elected by the people of the country
procedures or state through free and fair elections.
In Bureaucracy, the bureaucrats are not considered as public In Democracy, leaders are public representatives.
representatives.
In Bureaucracy, the bureaucrats have a fixed tenure, i.e their In Democracy, the elected leaders or representatives have a fixed
tenure is fixed till the age of retirement, although their roles and tenure, after this period they have to contest elections again to get
responsibilities could vary depending on the posting etc. the necessary votes to regain and continue in power. 
Bureaucracy does not give too much importance to, or focus much In Democracy, the elected representatives give a lot of importance
on public opinions. to public opinions as they are elected by the public through
elections.
Bureaucracy does not grant freedom of expression. Democracy grants freedom of expression
The mandate of Bureaucracy is to implement the laws. Democracy gives the powers to make the laws.
Bureaucracy is responsible for implementing the policies. Democracy gives the right to elected representatives to make or
formulate the policies.
Bureaucracy gives more accountability Democracy does not necessarily give great accountability. If there
was perfect accountability then corruption would not exist.

Since inputs from electorates are not paid heed to by the In Democracy, consultative approach is used before framing new
Bureaucracy, Directive approach is prevalent. laws, policies etc. Elected representatives takes inputs from their
electorates

In Bureaucracy, hierarchy is extremely important, a top down Democracy is based on the values of Equality, Republicanism,
approach is followed for smooth functioning of any department. Federalism etc.
Bureaucracy also focuses on Centralization.
 Democracy versus bureaucracy

Why democracy needs bureaucracy

 Maintenance of law and order
 Equity and equality
 Fair electoral process
 Policy formulation
 Financial structures
 Rule of law
 Accountability
 Equity versus efficiency

Equity refers to equal distribution of masses

Efficiency deals with using resources optimally
Types
 Resource efficiency
 Management efficiency
 Work force efficiency
 Time efficiency
 Cost efficiency
 Pareto efficiency
Pareto efficiency
 Core values of Public Ad

1. Rule of Law

2. Fairness
3. Responsiveness