Importance of Public Administration

1. Scientific and technological development has led to “big governments” which implies a vast increase in the scope of the activities of public administration.
2. The industrial revolution has given rise to socio-economic problems forcing governments to take up new activities.
3. The emergence of a welfare or service state instead of a police state.
4. The adoption of economic planning by modern governments to achieve the goals of the welfare state has increased the scope of public administration.
5. Population explosion has created socio-economic problems.
6. Natural calamities, an increase in violence, and a reduction in social harmony have led to crisis management or rescue operations and an increase in the scope of public administration.
7. The above functions cause “Administrative lag” which is due to the difference between aspirations and performance. this has to be met by Public administration.

Stages of Evolution of Public Administration

Stage I: Politics Administration Dichotomy

The separation of politics and administration was first proposed by Woodrow Wilson “Father of Public Administration”. He said politics is policy-making while the administration is policy execution. Hence he called for a separate study of public administration.

Wilson’s essay was epochal in delineating the conduct of government as a field of analytical study and generalization and the beginning of public administration as a subject. Public administration was neglected in the 19th century as the population was manageable and administration was simple.

The goals of public administration are:

1. Straighten paths of government i.e. advocacy for science of public administration.
2. Make its business more business i.e. predilection for private administration.
3. Strengthen and purify the organization
4. Crown its duties with dutifulness i.e. initiative for Comparative public administration.

Stage II: Principles of Administration

Certain principles could be discovered that increased the efficiency, and economy of public administration. The argument was administration was irrespective of the work. Principles were independent of the nature of enterprise, personnel, and creation theory.

Stage III: Dichotomy i.e. separation of politics from the administration was rejected. Since the administration has policy formulation so it can’t be separated from politics.

Woodrow Wilson

He wanted public administration to understand the basis of administration in different states. To learn weakness or virtues by comparison. To learn more efficient administration methods of European autocracies to meet democratic challenges without force.

Europe had seen a growth in administration as governments in European countries had been independent of popular assent. The desire to keep government a monopoly made monopolists interested in the least irritating means of governing. European ideas of government were for compact, centralized states so their ideas, aim, thoughts, and principles needed to be changed.

Wilson wanted reforms in administration to extend to executive functions and methods of executive organization, and actions.

However, his drawback was a proponent of the administration politics dichotomy. His theory was vague, ambivalent, and didn’t answer what study of administration entails, the proper relationship between administration and politics and whether administrative science can be natural science.

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