Introduction to Public
Administration
Upul Abeyrathne,
Senior Lecturer,
Dept. of Political Science,
University of Ruhuna,
Matara
Definitional crisis
• Public Administration is both a profession and
discipline.
• It has been seen differently in it various
phases of evolution
• Knowing the way it has been viewd in the past
is important to know where it is at present.
Unique Discipline
• It differs from Political Science- the mother
discipline
• It differs from Management: Alter Ego
It has evolved through at least six
paradigms.
1. Politics /Administration Dichotomy, 18871926
2. Principles of Administration 1927-1937
The Challenge, 1938-1950
3. Public Administration as political Science1950-1970
It has evolved through at least six
paradigms.
3. Public Administration as Management -19561970
4. Public Administration as Public
Administration 1970- present
5. Public Administration as Governance
Each Paradigm can be
characterized according to whether
it has ‘locus’ or ‘focus’
• Locus is institutional ‘where’ of the field. A
recurring locus of PA is the government
bureaucracy.
• Focus is the specialized ‘what’ of the field. It
body of knowledge and expertise. One Focus
of public administration has been the study of
administrative principles
Phase I
• Woodrow Wilson seminal Essay (The Study of
Administration in the Journal of Political
Science quarterly in 1887)
• This article has identified that spheres of
competence of politicians and administrators
are different. Political problems are not
Administrative problems
• Administrative activity is like business activity
Development of his thesis by political
Scientists
• Frank J. Goodnow (1900) The Politics and
Administration
• He has identified two functions of government
Politics and administration
‘Politics’ has to do with with policies or
expression of the state will
‘Administration has to do with the execution of
these policies
• Separation of powers provided the basis for
this distinction.
• “ Legislative branch ,aided by the interpretive
abilities of the judicial branch express the will
of the state and formed policy.
• The Executive branch administered those
policies impartially and nonpartisanly
• The emphasis of this paradigm is on locus; i.e. where
public administration should be
• Specific feature of this phase is the close identification
of public administration as one of the building block of
political science.(American Political science association
in 1914 has stated that the field of political science
was concerned with training for citizenship;
professional preparations such as law and journalism,
educating researchers and training and to prepare
specialists for government positions.
Leonard D. White
• Introduction to Public administration in 1926
• This is the first text book in the field of public
administration
• It has reflected the value that partisan politics
should not intrude on administration,
management lends itself to scientific study, Public
Administration is capable of becoming a value
free science, The mission of public adminitration
is economy, and efficiency, period.
Two long term effect of the paradigm I
• 1. Practical 2. Intellectual
• This dichotomy provided some protection to
for a fledging profession.