Defining Public Administration

1
Lecture 1

• Defining Public Administration

2
Etymology Approach

• Public
• - Populous people
• - states citizens
• - Collectively consumed
• - open or held in common
• - political involvement
• - decision making

3
Etymology Approach

• Administration
• - minos details and services
• - organizational contexts
• - resources human, financial, technology
• - inward looking
• - organizational context
• - internal decision making

4
Implications

• A word that clashes
• A dichotomy of the word
• Openness and people vs. internal concerns of
  organizations
• Public aspect
• A tie to the people

5
Narrow and Broad DefinitionBy Frank Marini

• Narrow Definition
• Managing the realm of governmental activities
• Public agencies
• Management staff, budgeting, organizing,
  directing
• Implement public policies
• Government in action

6
Broad Definition

• Planning, formulating, and implementing of public
  policies
• Indirect form of public administration
• Government reform movement
• Not providing direct services
• Public corporations, quasi-government entities,
  government contractual arrangements with NPOs
• Provide funding and monitor public service
  provisions

7
Multiple Approach to PAShafritz and Russell

• Political Definition
• Embedded in politics
• Legal Definition
• Legal foundations
• Bounded by law
• Managerial Definition
• Manage public and organizational resources
• Occupational Definition
• A Profession

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Political Definitions of PA

• PA is what government does
• Regular public business
• Calamity emergency services
• PA is both direct and indirect
• PA is a phase in the public policy making cycle
• PA is implementing the public interest
• PA is doing collectively that which cannot be so
  well done individually

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Legal Definitions of PA

• Public administration is law in action
• Existence of PA and execution of public law
• Public administration is regulation
• Administrative regulations
• Vague laws
• Public administration is the Kings largesse
• Earlier meaning and practice of PA
• Modern meaning
• Public administration is a theft
• Redistributive policies
• Robbing Peter to pay Paul

10
Managerial Definitions of PA

• PA is the executive function in government
• The federalist number 72
• Implementation of legislation
• PA is management specialty
• Top managers versus middle managers
• PA is Mickey Mouse
• Red tape
• Excessive formality of public organizations
• PA is art, not science, or vice versa
• Art motive people
• Science formal training administrative tools

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Occupational Definitions of PA

• PA is an occupational category
• All types of public employees
• Broad professions vs. specific professions
• PA is an essay contest
• Memos, administrative rules, and regulations
• PA is an idealism in action
• Public service spirits
• PA is an academic field
• Train professional administrators
• Science of administration
• PA is a professional field

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Why Do We Have Public Administration?

• Economic Rationale
• Asymmetry of Information (FDA)
• Transaction Cost (Bureau of Business)
• Negative externality (EPA)
• Public/Collective Good (National defense, public
  safety)
• Free rider problems

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Why Do We have Public Administration?

• Political/Social Rationale
• Community and nation building (D. of Education)
• Security and order (D of Public Safety, Homeland
  Security)
• Protecting property, social, and political
  rights?
• Social justice (D of Health and Human Services)
• Protecting the weak (Welfare Services)

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Conclusion

• Multifaceted meanings of public administration
• Vast responsibilities of public employees
• Interdisciplinary nature of the field of public
  administration management, law, political
  science, etc.
• Cross-governmental field

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Assignments

• Class debate
• Is management in the private sector essentially
  similar to management in the public sector?
• Readings
• Michael A. Murray (Yes)
• Dwight Ink (No)