Current Status of Public Administration

Current Status of Public Administration 


Stages of Evolution 
Paradigm 1: Politics / administration dichotomy, 1900- 1926
Paradigm 2: The principles of administration, 1926-1937
                        The Challenge to Paradigm 3: 1938- 1950
Paradigm 3: Public administration as a political science, 1950-1970
Paradigm 4: Public administration as a management, 1956- 1970
Paradigm 5: Public administration as public administration : 1970-?


Arguments against Rational Choice School  (NPM, Neo-liberal ideology )

1. Theories of Democratic Citizenship 
Citizens have the capacity to look beyond their self interest to the larger public interest.  Therefore a broader and long term perspective needs to be adopted that requires bonding with community and knowledge of civic affairs which the neo-liberal ideology lacks.


Public spirit needs to be nourished and  maintained , and that can be aided by constant attention to principles of justice, public participation and deliberation.  It suggests a balancing of both kinds of interests as  an ideal in democratic society. It also advocates restoration of view of citizenship based on civil interest than self interest.


2. Models of Community and Civil Society 
Citizens felt great frustration and anger that they had been pushed out of the political system by a professional political class of powerful lobbyists, incumbent politicians, campaign managers and a media elite. They saw the system as one in which votes no longer made any difference. They saw a system with its doors closed to the averaged citizen. As a consequence, citizens felt alienated and detached. 

Where strong networks of citizen interaction and high levels of social trust and cohesion among citizens exist ,publicadministrators can count on these existing stock of social capital to build even stronger networks to open new avenues for dialogue and debate. And to further educate citizens with respect to matters of Democratic governance.  Public administrators can contribute to building community and social capital. Some are arguing today that the primary role of the public administrators is that of building community. Others argue that public administrators can play an active role in promoting social capital by encouraging citizen involvement in public decision making.

These models advocate community as an antidote to unrestrained greed and self interest that marks modern society.  Community can act as a helpful mediating structure between the individual and society. 


3. Organizational Humanism 
Over the past twenty-fiveyears,  public administration theorists have  joined other disciplines in suggesting that traditional hierarchical approachesto social organization are restrictive in their view of human behaviour, and they have joined in a critique of bureaucracy and a search for alternative approaches to management and organization.

Collectively , these approaches have sought to fashion public organizations less dominated by issues of authority and control and more attentive to the needs and concerns of internal and external constituents . In most organization, people have relatively little control over their work. In many cases,  they are expected to be submissively  , dependent and limited in what they can do.  Such an arrangement ultimately backfire, as it limits the contributions employees can make to the organization. 


Theorists have explored alternate ways of designing organizations. The idea is to. maximize collaboration between individual and units whose works are interdependent and to develop reward systems that recognize both the acts of organisation's mission and the growth and development of Organization members.  


4.New Public Administration 
It showed intense concern for relevant social problems, stressing ethnics and  values, innovation and social equality. It also put great emphasis on human relations and a creative application to administration and social change.


5. Failure of Neo- liberal model in developing countries in ushering equity and social justice as promised. 





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