Political Science

Public administration is a very broad term which can be described as the implementation, development and the study of branches of government policy. Public administration has several goals such as pursuit of public good by putting in place civil society, effective, fair and ensuring a well run public service. Public administration can also be described as the study of public entities and the relationships that they have with each other and with other world at large.

Public servants who are employed in the public departments and agencies as well as all levels of government are the people who carry out public administration. They usually carry out a wide range of tasks which depends on the level that they are in. Some of the tasks that they carry out include monitoring the budget, developing policy, collecting and analyzing data, drafting legislation and executing government activities which are legally mandated.

Public administration is also a field in academics.  As compared to its related fields such as political science, public administration can be described as a new field. This field emerged in the  nineteenth century. It is multidisciplinary in nature and it thus draws from concepts and theories in economics, political science, administrative law, sociology, management and behavioral science. Its goals are related to the democratic value of improving justice, equality, efficiency, security and effectiveness of public services using a non profit approach.

In the modern society public administration plays various roles. It ensures that the rights of the citizens are checked and adhered to. Public administration has played a major role in normative and empirical decision making in the modern society. This is through ethics in public administration and policy analysis. Public administration has also ensured through public budgeting that resources have been allocated in the right way. This is because the resources are scarce and the demands are unlimited hence the need for a control body to ensure that they are allocated fairly. Public administration through human resource management has also ensured that in our modern society that there is equitable treatment, ethical standards have been adhered to and also the system that is used is merit based.

Max Weber termed bureaucracy as part of legal domination where some people have control over others. He noted seven principles.

The principles include management by rules. Rules are made at high levels and must be followed by all lower levels.  A formal hierarchical structure is the next principle which means that each level controls the level below it and itself is controlled by the level above it. The next principle is the organization by functional specialty which means that tasks are carried out by specialists are the specialists are organized into units which are based on the skills the have or the tasks they carry out. An up focused and in focused mission is the fourth principle. An up focused mission is where the organization aim is to serve the stockholders while an in focused mission is where the purpose of the organization is to serve itself. The next principle is purposely impersonal which states that everyone should be treated equally. Employment based on technical qualification is the next principle. The last principle is the predisposition to grow in staff above the line.

As Max Weber himself noted real bureaucracy will be less effective and optimal than his ideal type and thus the ideal theoretical Webers theory fail to capture the reality. This is because the principles that he depicted can degenerate.  For instance competences at times may be unclear and may also be used contrary to the spirit of law. A decision may sometimes be considered of more importance than the effects that it brings. Political infighting, corruption and nepotism may counter the principle of impersonality and thus create a recruitment and promotion system that is not based on merit.

Other than the principles degenerating, bureaucracy is also affected by many common problems such as the following. Inertia procedures and rigidity, making the process of decision making impossible or slow in situations where there is unusual case and thus delaying change. Overspecialization makes individuals not to be aware of the consequences their actions may bring.  Another problem is the disregard of dissenting opinions even in situations where it is applicable. Max Weber theory may also hinder people from seeing common sense because everything is as it is written in the law. The theory also hinders critical thinking and thus making the organization unable to realize its own limitations and mistakes and thus it cannot change.

The appropriate ends and purposes of the contest of power in administration are varied. People may contest for power in administration so that they can gain control over others. When they are in control they feel that they are above the others and they can therefore do what pleases them. Some may also want to gain control over the others so as have that prestige. There other people who contest for power in administration for their own personal gains. Some may use power to misappropriate funds in the public offices. Others may use the power to employ people whom they want regardless of whether they have the technical qualifications. Some also contest for power for instance as the head of state so that they can be able to protect their properties which they have gained using crude and inappropriate methods. They also want that power so as to cover themselves form various auctions which they did which were in contrary to the laid down laws in that nation. There others who contest for power in administration so that they can turn a non profit making organization to a profit making organization. These are the people who contest for power to show the public that they can have faith in them. They feel that they have the capability to change the society.