Public Administration

Question 1

public administration as a science (field of study)

Answer 1

a discipline of study, focus on the characteristics of science: universalism, predictability, objectivity.

Question 2

public administration as an art (activity or process)

Answer 2

a process or activity, that of administering public affairs, focus on practical process characteristics: creativity, judgement, leadership

Question 3

sides chosen considering the definition of PA

Answer 3

• positivists: science, theory must be rational and testible, goals of knowledge is simply to describe the phenomena experienced.
• reasoners: art, generation of theory must involve reasoning and induction, goal of knowledge is not just desciptive, but also prescriptive and normative.
• the in-betweeners: we need positivism to know, and reasoning to understand.

Question 4

“administration” meaning

Answer 4

• cooperative rational action
  > cooperative: activity with effects that would be absent if the cooperation did not take place (antagonistic cooperation -> unwillingly)
  > rational: maximization
  > action: organization & management

Question 5

rational action

Answer 5

action that is correctly calculated to achieve the desired goals with the minimal hindrance to the achievement of other goals

Question 6

“public” meaning

Answer 6

• structural functionalism approach =seeks the basic enduring patterns of human needs. focuses on the characteristics of public institutions
  > identify common denominators in every society
  > society is a complex system with independent parts that work together
  > special coercive, symbolic and ceremonial aspects
• cultural approach = emphasizes diversity in the way public administration is shaped and carried out in different societies
  > beliefs and ways of doing things in society
  > understanding culture helps understanding : social function of administration,
  diversity between administrative systems, depending on who lives where, and
  what they do

Question 7

organizations operate in an environment that is influenced by non-rational factors

Answer 7

• the cultural background and personal idiosyncrasies of individuals
• the influence of external groups and institutions
• the formation of informal groups within organizations

Question 7

politics-administration dichotonomy

Answer 7

seperation between politics and adminsitrative functions

Question 8

scientific management

Answer 8

a system aimed at maximizing efficiency by determining the one best way to perform a task

Question 9

new public administration

Answer 9

argues that public administration should focus on social equity, addressing social problems like civil rights and equality, rather than just efficiency