Explain the nature and scope of public administration and how public administration is different from

political philosophy?

History is evident of the fact that a society needs an organized and well structured system of life and
public administration serves for the same, helping in regulation of the society for its welfare.
The mechanism of administration has been subjected to change throughout history according to the
shifting needs of the society over the period of time.The beginning of public administration as a
discipline is considered to be with the published article in 1887 by Woodrow Wilson “The Study of
Administration”.
One keen observation of this subject is that public administration in democratic, complex, and
fast-changing modern society has become essential for the sustenance, progress, and quality of life of
all humans despite the enormous diversity of demands or political settings of individuals around the
world.
Therefore Public Administration derived from Latin words ‘ad’ and ‘ministration’ simply means to serve
implying to the management of affairs or looking after the people. It is the process of management
practised by all kinds of organizations from simple to complex systems of government. To administer is
to manage,direct or serve.
Some important characteristic features of public administration are:
1. The public administration operates through a tool known as bureaucracy, which is
a professional and non-political institution and discharge the responsibilities as per
the standard determined for the purpose.

2. The democratic state and its political system decide its purposes and scope and
direct its public administrative system and the bureaucracy keeping in view the
political, constitutional and social, economic and cultural context of the society
concerned. It is a means to an end and not an end in itself.

3. Public administration normally refers to the executive branch of the government

but its meaning always cannot be restricted to the executive branch only as there
has been overlapping and interdependence especially to achieve the objectives of
the state. Hence public administration has become a complex system of managing
public affairs.

4. Traditionally, policy execution role has been assigned to public administration but
it has also been performing a role in policy making domain.

5. Public and private administration are considered distinct to each other especially
in terms of the process adopted and objectives pursued by them but both of them
share their efforts, innovations, strategies and resources in order to fulfill larger
objective of betterment of mankind. The emphasis has always been on public
good.

6. It is interdisciplinary in theory and practical in its application. Hence the knowledge

of all

7. branches of social sciences is utilized to the possible extent to solve practical

problems

8. confronted by the society.

9. It is a dynamic process and will be alive as long as civilization itself.

10. It is art and science.

11. It has political character and functions in a specific political setting.

 12. It seeks the assistance and cooperation of and actively associated with various groups and
13. agencies to provide services and performing functions assigned to it.

Nature: The nature of public administration refers to the kinds of tasks and responsibilities it
handles.Two perspectives (integral and managerial) on the nature of public administration
were presented by the scholars.
Integral view : According to integral view administration is the sum total of all the activities _
manual, clerical, technical, managerial which are undertaken to realise the objective in view i.e.
the implementation of the policies in given field. In integral view the work of all persons
ranging from the lowest to the highest working in an enterprise are taken into account as being
part of administration. according to this viewpoint, the total of all the tasks completed by
workers, employees, officials, managers, and executives situated at various organisational
levels of hierarchy constitutes the administration's operations. Woodrow Wilson, L. D. White,
Marshall E. Dimock, John Pfiffner and Percy McQueen advocated this view.

L D White states: “Public administration consists of all those operations having for their
purpose the fulfilment or enforcement of public policy as declared by competent authority”.
Woodrow Wilson considers it “is detailed and systematic application of law”. Pfiffner observes:
“Public Administration consist of doing the work of the government whether it be running an
Xray machine in a health laboratory or coining money in the mint. Public Administration consist
of getting the work done by coordinating the efforts of the people so that they can work
together to accomplish their tasks”. Percy McQueen says “Public Administration is
administration related to the operation of government whether central or local”. Thus, the
supporters of the view believe that public administration in a comprehensive sense include all
those activities, which fall in the domain of the government and even if those are legislative,
executive and judicial in nature.

Managerial View : The managerial view regards the work of only those persons engaged in
performing managerial functions in an organisation, as constituting administration. It includes
only some of the activities concerned with management which unite and control the rest of
them as a part of a coordinated attempt, and not the sum total of the activities undertaken in
pursuance of the goal.

Luther Gulick, Merson, Herbert Simon, Henry Fayol are the supporters of this view. They
emphasise that public administration is concerned only with such activities of the executive
branch of the government which involves in the organizational and managerial activities. The
managerial view of administration means the managerial activities of people who are involved
in planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating and controlling constitute Public
Administration. The view believes in getting things done instead doing things. It means the
manual, clerical and technical non-managerial acts are not included in public administration as
per this view.

Luther Gulick states: “Public Administration is that branch of the science of administration
which has to do with government and thus concern itself primarily with the executive branch
where the work of government is done, though there are obviously problems in connection with
the legislative and judicial branches.”

Merson states: “The administrator gets things done, and just as the science of politics is an
enquiry into the best means whereby the will of the people may be organized for the
formulation of policy so the science of Public Administration is an enquiry as to how policies
may best be carried into operation.”

Herbert Simon states “By public administration is meant, in common usage, the activities of the
executive branches of the national, state and local government.” Thus, both views are
important.

Modern Comprehensive View

There has been tremendous change in public administration and government throughout
incorporating many activities and agencies.hence , the nature of public administration cannot
be described as per the traditional integral and managerial views

F. A. Nigro and L. G. Nigro have made an attempt to describe the public administration in a
comprehensive manner. They state “Public Administration:

i. is cooperative group effort in a public setting;

ii. covers all three branches- executive, legislative and judicial —and their interrelationships;

iii. has an important role in the formulation of policy and is thus a part of the political process;

iv. is different in significant ways from private administration; and

v. is closely associated with numerous private groups and individuals in providing services to
the community

Conclusion : The origin of the discipline of public administration can be traced to Wilson’s
essay on dichotomy of politics and administration. But we have come a long way since then.
Now, there is a lot of stress on public administration economics union and also on the
closeness of public administration with management principles.

The growing emphasis on administration and politics union recasts the relationship of public
ws vgyadministration with the state and society. The study of public administration is no longer
inward-looking. It does not merely include bureaucratic structures and processes. The
objective is not to look for the ‘one best way’ of doing a job.

The changing scenario has made public administration more multidisciplinary with
administrative behaviour and citizen’s participation as its important components. New
researches in the area since 1950s have brought public administration face- to-face with the
new challenges of governance and citizens’ organisations.
The systems approach, behavioural approach, human relations approach, socio-psychological
approach have all emphasised the relationship of administration with the environment besides
highlighting the interrelationship of employees within the public organisations.

The role of public administration in the era of globalisation, privatisation and liberalisation also
draws the attention on the relationship of the stale, public administration, market and society.
The newfound role of public administration in the globalisation context has its genesis in the
public choice approach and the New Right philosophy of market supremacy.

Question 02

There are three different theories of public administration that help us to understand public
administration: Classical Public Administration Theory, New Public Management Theory, and
Postmodern Public Administration Theory

Classical Public Administration Theory

The classical theory of public administration, otherwise better known as the structural theory of
public administration, centers on major variables. It does not include other theories of
administration but promotes the managing of government institutions through the bureaucracy. The
authors of this, namely Henri Fayol and prominent social scientist Luther Gulick, explained
bureaucratic features, major importance, and elements of classical theory, including; Unity,
Efficiency, Atomism, Specialization, and Command.