New Public Administration

Paper: Perspectives on public administration

Lesson: New Public Administration
Lesson Developer: Dr. B.R. Mohanty
College/ Department: S.G.T.B. Khalsa College, University
of Delhi

Institute of Lifelong Learning, university of Delhi

 New Public Administration

Table of Contents
 Introduction
 Emergence of New Public Administration
 Landmark movements and major initiatives in New Public Administration

 The Minnowbrook Conference

• Study of Relevance
• Basic Values,
• Basic Equity
• Basic Change

 Objectives of New Public Administration

 Principles of New Public Administration

• Knowledge of the State
• Knowledge of government and administration
• Knowledge about the world
• Knowledge of Political dynamics
• Creation of democratic values
• Creation of good citizenship
• Lesson of co-operation and toleration
• Knowledge of Public Administration indispensable
 Current Perspectives of New Public Administration
 Criticisms
 Summary
 Question & Answers
 Glossary
 References

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 2

 New Public Administration

NEW PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Introduction
A new trend in the study of Public Administration was clearly visible in the twentieth
century, particularly after the end of World War II. This was due to the increasing attention
given to the study of administrative behaviour not only of important persons exercising
administrative power, but of the ordinary people. This new movement was started by a
group of political scientists, mostly in the USA, who strongly expressed their dissatisfaction
with the traditional approaches to public administration. The underlying principle of this
updated approach in Public administration is its central focus on administrative behaviour.
The study of administrative behaviour is concerned with the acts, attitudes, preferences and
expectations of man in administrative contexts. According to this study, the unit of analysis
is the individual person in a given administrative situation.

Emergence of New Public Administration

The New Public Administration puts emphasis on the behaviour of individuals or groups of
individuals as units of administrative investigation. The new public administration
concentrates on the behaviour of individuals whose interactions and transactions make up
collective behaviour, even if he is concerned with describing and explaining the actions of
groups, organizations or other large collectivities. Groups, organizations or nations have no
independent status apart from the conduct of the individuals, who are related by behaving
towards each other in certain ways. New Public Administration is mainly a contribution of
the American political scientists notwithstanding the fact that they drew inspiration from
various European thinkers, popularity of the behavioural approach in the United States owed
itself to certain attitudes and orientations so characteristics of the American culture,
pragmatism, factmindedness, love for science and statistics, etc. New Public Administration
is a protest movement within Political Science associated with a number of political
scientists, mainly American, who shared a strong sense of dissatisfaction with the
achievements of conventional political science, particularly through historical, philosophical
and descriptive and institutional approaches. 1 It aims at studying all the phenomena of the
government in terms of observed and observable behaviour of man. It is an attempt to
improve our understanding of public policies by seeking to explain the empirical aspects of
administrative life by means of methods, theories and criteria of proof that are acceptable

1
Mohit Bhattacharya, New Horizons of Public Administration, Jawahar Publishers & Distributors, 2000, pp 18-19

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 3

 New Public Administration

according to the cannons, conventions and assumptions of modem empirical science. Its
purpose is to promote scientific out-look.

The study of new public administration can be traced back to the history of Minnowbrook
Conference. It was held in the year 1968. It was also studied under the stewardship of
Dwight Waldo. 2 The aim of the conference was to streamline the study of public
administration and wanted to bring intellectuals in public administration to review and
debate on the state and future outcome of administrative behaviour. It was realized that
there was a period of political crisis in the USA.The 1960s was a watershed movement in
USA for studying the crisis of administrative state. Waldo said that the public
administration was not functioning well to fulfill the basic requirements of the study. He
said that there was unethical standards and misconceptions created among the public. The
situation demanded to remake the structure of public functioning. The growing political
dishonesty was linked with administrative misconduct.

The commentary on moral values and study of public administration have normally cited on
various reasons for immoral activities and proposed diverse shape of preparation to fight
them. Corruption has been expected as the most noticeable form of unprincipled behaviour
and the so-called of the political and permanent executive, quite unaware of the fact that
this mounting threat has marked itself far and wide in almost every vocation, the non-
governmental bodies are also not to protect from it. It is too early to comment that the
process of liberalization would alter the scenario for the better, because as we make bigger
globally and unlock doors to the transnational corporations and other types of overseas
capital, the virus of venality might just get even more opportunities to feed on.

In this changing perspective, when we are talking of ethics we cannot help but talk of the
difficulties of corruption, favouritism, breaking of rules and role of watchfulness commission.
Though the indispensability of these factors to this topic cannot be unnoticed, we would just
superficially speak to these issues and try to deal with the difficulty in a diverse standpoint.
The function of public administration has turn out to be multifaceted.

Administrators are continuously occupied in building strategy and resolve divergence

circumstances at dissimilar levels of hierarchy in order to cope with the rising strain and
prospects of the target groups. Emphasis is, therefore, desirable on those facet of ethical

2
Ibid.

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 4

 New Public Administration

guiding principle that could offer the administrators, especially the bureaucrats, some
assistance in recognizing a difficulty, choose an option and put into practice the best course
of choice. Our service demeanor regulations lay pressure on punishment and sentence for
dissimilar deviation and departures from the underscore strategy but ignore the pertinence
of the factors that lead to such circumstances. It is necessary that administrators are well-
known with the course of moral decision-making: they should know how to grip a difficulty
state of affairs, the role of facts and values in resolving them and recognize the ways of
shielding themselves from irrelevant pressures, identifying substitute and extrapolative
consequences. "What we supposed to not be done" needs to be replaced by "what ought to
be done" in different work condition. Though no moral set of laws can give answer for every
decisional predicament, it could give a broad outline of what would be the best promising
way of dealing
with them through examples based on past achievements and recognized conventions.
Thus, there is need for evolution of new public administration in dealing with the
ambiguities that arise because of outdated rules and opposing guidelines.

The types of immoral actions, commonly documented, are inducement, splice, backing, use
of official possessions, documents for private gains, etc. The service conduct rules of
administrators forbid them form indulging in these activities through their various sections
and clauses.

The discipline of Public Administration was also stunned and powered by the period of social
disorder and crisis ridden period of the 60s.The study of Public administration has come to
be augmented by the appearance of what has to be treated as the period of New Public
Administration. The watershed movement of New Public Administration was held differently
to make it more effective and democratic.

Value addition – For Better Understanding

Key Features of New Public Administration

The following can be enlisted as the key features of New Public Administration as described
by George Frederickson,
• Social Equity
• Rationality
• Social Change and Administrative Responsiveness
• Improved Management-Worker Relations

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 5

 New Public Administration

• Amalgamation of Education in Public Administration

• Dynamic Structures
• Importance on Politics -Administration dichotomy
• Its unique multi-disciplinary nature

Landmark movements and major initiatives in New Public Administration

The landmark movements and major initiative are outlined below:

1. The study of Honey report was made on the issues of Higher Education for public
service,1967,in USA 3
2. The study of Philadelphia Conference on the concept of Theory and Practice of Public
Administartion,1967 which was in USA
3. The study of Minnow brook Conference was held in the year 1968, in USA
4. The titled Toward a New Public Administration: The Minnow brook Perspective , was
4
published which was edited by Frank Marini,1971
5. Another outstanding publication of Public Administration in a time of Turbulence
which was edited by Dwight Waldo which was published in the year 1971. 5

The evaluative study which was made by the Syracuse University where John C.Honey
(1966) took an initiative to make public administration as a separate discipline in the
Universities of US. The Honey Report which was marked as a historic movement
6
submitted in the year 1967 .The report located difficulties of four essential troubles which
is meet head-on the discipline, which needed immediate stroke.

• Insufficient funds at removal of the discipline for innovative developed research

techniques.
• Doubt and bewilderment over the present position of the discipline
• Lack of executing and implementing of institutional framework of public
administration
• Lack of Communication between public administration scholars

3
Rumki Basu, Introduction to Public Administration, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd, 1990, p-19
4
ibid
5
ibid
6
ibid

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 6

 New Public Administration

The American Academy of Political and Social Science developed new appraisal of
the discipline of public administration which was very much spearheaded in the
conference of Philadelphia. It was in the year 1967.There were different opinions expressed
with special reference to The Theory and Practice of Public Administration: Scope,
Objectives and Methods. Varied opinions withdrawn to make public administration in
protecting public interest and on the other hand made it with governmental administration.

• The study of Policy –administration dichotomy is flawed

• The study of American Public administration as new theme should deal
correspondingly with US public administration.
• The operational aspects of bureaucracy should be calculated structurally as well as
functionally.
• The training and recruitment aspects of public administrators in public administration
and business administration should not be collective.
• The study of Public Administration should be separate and it must have autonomous
identity.
• There was confusion in studying between normative as well as descriptive analytic
theory in public administration.
• The nature of hierarchical authority needs to be redefined. Employer must view
employees as basic coordinators rather than going subordinators.

Value Addition- Know it Better

New Public Administration highlights on the following themes

• New Improved Public Policy

• Citizen in Public Administartion through Democracy
• Citizen Charters
• Public Interest
• Emphasis on Social equity

The Minnowbrook Conference

The Minnowbrook Conference was particularly held to study many social problems but there
was no healthy sign of public administration to fulfill the basic objectives to solve them. This

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 7

 New Public Administration

development was marked by article which was written by Dwight Waldo titled ‘ Public
Administration in a Time of Revolutions ‘. 7It was published in the review of Public
Administration in 1968. On the other hand the subject matter of public administration was
subject to generation gap. This conference was marked as youth conference on public
administration. This conference was an academic get-together which expanded the horizon
of new public administration.

The writing on new public administration lays emphasis on four major subject matter.

• Study of Relevance,
• Basic Values,
• Basic Equity,
• Basic Change

Study of Relevance
The study of Public administration has conventionally been paying attention in competence
and wealth. The new public administration movement pointed out that the discipline had
little to say about fashionable evils and subject and was therefore becoming inappropriate
Management-oriented public administration studies was found insufficient, and the demand
was to deal clearly with the political surroundings and inference of managerial action.

Basic Values
Values are important theme in studying new paradigm of public administration. It is
considered as a normative concern in justifying administrative studies. It stands for discard
of value neutral position which was taken by the behavioral school. Value neutrality in public
administration is very much misleading and was subject to be familiar and witnessed the
cause of the disadvantaged sections of the society. Values should be served through
administrative action. The new perspective of Public administration should be less generic.
It should be more prescriptive and client oriented public administration. Broadly speaking,
new public administration contains the topics dealing with both empirical facts and value
preferences. Questions of facts are concerned with what is and. those dealing with value
preferences are concerned with what should be. The contents of new Public Administration
fall in either of those two broad categories. Recently, dissatisfaction with the contents of the
subject and its long indulgence in value judgments has led to interesting controversies

7
L. D. White, Introduction to the Study of Public Administration, Macmillan Co., New York, 1955, pp 10-15.

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 8

 New Public Administration

about the scope of public administration and the proper methods for its study. Especially in
the United States of America, efforts are made to develop a kind of empirically oriented and
value-free scientific politics, seeks to be at par with the natural sciences. There are some
difficulties in the development of a scientific politics. However, if such efforts become
successful, it will reduce the area of value judgment in public administration. Hence, at a
distant future the scope of Public administration may have to be redefined in the light of the
achievements of the neo-administrative scientists. As New Public administration is a
dynamic and not a static subject, its scope is ever expanding.

Basic Equity
Social equity is also the theme of public administration. The distributive justice and effects
of governmental functions should be treated as public administrations major objectives. It
should be reduction of economic and social discrimination and promotion of life
opportunities for all social groups.

Basic Change
Change is also an important theme in new public administration. It should work for social
change. It is being treated as the basic theme in public administration. The participants of
Minnowbrook conference expanded the ideas of change and gave certain remedies and
precautions about the bureaucratic tendencies of big organizations. The change about the
movement was very much successful in bringing some integrity in public administration. It
has direct relevance to the fulfillment of third world countries. The new movement stands
for basic ground realities of societal problems. A change in new public administration or in
government may be made on an experimental basis. New ideas and institutions can be
introduced for the sake of experiment. Panchayati Raj in India, for example, had been
introduced on experimental basis. Sometimes different administrative reforms are also
introduced on experimental basis. It follows the constructive thinking in the field of
development administration. There is a change in the development perspectives of
administration. The main motive of the change was to streamline the third world along with
the rude form of capitalism. The new administration is fit to suit the requirements of basic
social and economic problems of the society. It searches new ways and means to reach in a
particular destination. It can influence public policy and in the present day it has also
followed the basic objectives of administration in the lines of NITI Ayog. Through its
perspective, it can increase the quality of life standards. It will be more normative and will
be proved less neutral.

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 9

 New Public Administration

It is said that governments are always making experiments on the community. Through the
process of experiment, government may adopt new policies and methods. It is true that
social conditions cannot be artificially created and experiments as in the physical sciences
are not possible in public administration. However, even with handicaps, experiments in
public administration can be conducted.. In the present circumstances administrative
scientists have realized that a single approach is not adequate but multiple approaches to
the study of current problems are welcome.

Value Addition- Difference between Old and New Public Administration

Old Public Administration New Public Administration

1.Focus on Centralization 1.Focus on Decentralization

2.Focus on Bureaucratization 2.Focus on merging Public and Private
3.Focus on Single Central interface
Department 3.Focus on multiple departments
4.Focus on Over Domination of the 4.Focus on Government to Good
Government Governance
5.Focus on Hierarchy 5.Focus on Participatory management
6.Focus on Structure and functions 6. Focus on Evaluative Assessment of an
of an organization Organization.

Objectives of New Public Administration

The scope of New Public Administration implies its jurisdiction of subject matter. It is a very
wide and comprehensive subject. It is a major branch of political science. It deals with the
nature of different political institutions including government, explains their merits and
demerits, their structure and working and arrives at different conclusions by making a
comparative study. The study of public administration and local government may be
included in this area. However, the study of public administration has emerged as an
independent subject in recent times. It is going to acquire more significance in the 21st
century. It means the current forces at work in government and decision making. It covers
a wide range and includes the study of rational decision making etc. A scientific study to the
working of these helps to explain the administrative behaviour. The study in this field is

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 10

 New Public Administration

often done in collaboration with other social sciences like sociology, anthropology and
psychology. New conditions and experiences make man wiser, and in the light of the new
knowledge, it wants to improve upon the State and governmental machinery. Human nature
is not static, but dynamic. To understand the functioning of administration, it is necessary
for new public administration to work outward from the nucleus of the study of government
and take into consideration social, psychological and economic factors. Many changes have
been taken place. The principles of governance have also been changed in the current
perspectives of new public administration. The State today is not what it was one thousand
years ago. These changes need to be studied in new situations of Public administration.

In recent times New Public Administration is going to assume the status of a separate
academic discipline in modern States. New Public Administration deals with those operations
having for their purposes the fulfillment of public policy. It deals with the executive branch
of the Government both at national, State and local levels. Its horizons are ever expanding
in recent times. It examines various kinds of Governments and administration in modern
society. Thus social sciences are in a greater or lesser degree related to Public
administration. No social science can be studied in isolation. New Public Administration is
no exception to it. The prime responsibility of new public administration is to focus the role
of the government and try to locate how they can easily afford these services to citizens.

Value Addition – Surf and Know

Old and New Public Administration

Mosher, F. C.. (1992). Public Administration Old and New: A Letter from Frederick C.
Mosher. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory: J-PART, 2(2), 199–202.
Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1181581

The following are the major objectives of New Public Administration:

1. Enhancing efficiency in Public management perspectives
2. Developing techniques of work methods
3. Advancement of work environment
4. Simplification of procedures
5. Stand for computerization
6. Make-easy on-line monitoring of performance
7. Routine budgeting
8. Developing auditing
9. Developing new techniques of recruitment methods

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 11

 New Public Administration

10. Facilitating administrative mobility between government and other sectors

11. Emphasis on administrative training and motivational effective policy
12. Technological advancement
13. Development of modernization
14. Marketization and development of privatization
15. Sense of debureaucratization

Source-
http://administrationpublic.weebly.com/uploads/4/5/5/8/4558689/5761842_orig.jpg,access
ed on 7 April 2016

After the emergence of New Public Administration, the effective governance are being set
with new perspectives of administration. It has discarded the old methods of executing and
implementing policies. There is a pressure on slim down the government in the lines of
new public administration perspective. The reform on new public administration calls for
openness and integrity, accountability in governance. The need of the hour of new public
administration is to empower the NGOs and the other private stakeholders to develop
partnership with the government. The objective is to supplement the transformation of
socio-economic development for administrative development of the state. It can bring

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 12

 New Public Administration

enhancement of public spirit in terms one’s responsiveness. The new public administration
will make organization more citizen-friendly. Apart from, there is an extra ordinary anxiety
on effectuating accountability of the system of governance towards citizens and a
commitment to the study rudimentary philosophy of the Constitution. The New Public
Administration is being considered as a global movement and global mobility is being
reflected and promoted by the demands of globalization. 8 It will not promote the inequalities
in administrative development. The few sections of the community should get benefit and
form a part of goal set of new public administration.

New Public administration deals with pro-people development in administration. It is paying

attention to the analysis of public health, mass educational development, rural
development, and strike an effective balance between the urgency of market model of
development and needs of poverty eradication. Market economy should not aggravate the
sufferings of the poorest of the poor. Dynamics of development and transformation of socio-
economic justice must go together. The new Public Administration adheres to the precise
values of routine work keeping in view of the diverse requirements of the citizens who are
the eventual recipient of first-class governance. New public administration in the new
dispensation of development administration is playing a very dynamic role of a facilitator
and motivator and not that of controller and activities of a regulator. The new public
administration is performing its developmental duties in implementing pro-people
development plan and act as a harmonizing factor in the process of enlargement.

The evolution of New Public Administration is so called the development of Public-Private

partnership. The prime responsibility of New Public Administration is to empower the clients,
inter-institutional competition in the process of governance, promotion citizen-centered
administration, development of decentralized governance, collective teamwork and market
principles of entrepreneurial government. It stands for better effective government. After
the development of New Public Administration, both Central government and State
government have developed different developmental schemes to achieve multi-dimensional
developmental goals. The goal of NPA is to make the government responsive and stands for
facilitating the right to information and create motivational environment in government.

8
Ramesh K Arora , Public Administration in India Tradition, Trends and Transformation, Paragon International
Publishers,2006, pp56-58

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 13

 New Public Administration

At the outset, the study of new public administration brings complete transformation in the
field of developmental administration or administrative state. It stands for open debate and
discussion in executing and implementing decisions. It makes the governance more
democratic and citizen-friendly approach towards certain goals.

Principles of New Public Administration

1. Knowledge of the State

The primary aim of the study of New Public administration is to inculcate knowledge of the
State, its origin, nature, structure and functions. Knowledge about the State is of great
significance to modern man. Further, in democratic States, the citizens must possess at
least rudimentary knowledge about administrative behaviour and its principles. This will
make them conscious of the State. They will be able to keep a vigilant eye over the rulers
and assert their supremacy over them. They will try to check misuse of power.

2. Knowledge of government and administration

The administrators, statesmen and diplomats, who conduct the affairs of the State, also
require sound knowledge of public administration in order to perform their functions with
efficiency. An administrator who has no knowledge of Public administration is bound to be a
failure. Consequently all new entrants to the Indian Administrative Service have to undergo
a course in Political Science,-at the National Academy of Administration, Mussorie. Similarly,
recruits-to the Indian Foreign Service, who are expected to conduct India's foreign
relations, are also
imparted thorough knowledge of diplomacy, international relation, international law and
other specialized branches of public administration. The principles and norms established by
the scholars in political science are of immense utility and value to the executives,
legislators and judges. New public administration is said to be a science of statesmanship
and leadership. 9

3. Knowledge about the world

The new public administration deals with the knowledge about the world. But apart from
these utilitarian considerations, the acquisition of knowledge of political science enriches
one's mind and widens one's intellectual horizon. In order to know what is happening in the
world around us, at least an elementary knowledge of political science is necessary. In the

9
R. K. Arora, Public Administration in India Tradition, Trends and Transformation, Paragon International
Publishers,2006, pp 120-121

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 14

 New Public Administration

modern age, an individual cannot lead an isolated life. Each country has to maintain
relations with other countries of the world. Those who specialise in the various fields of
political science conduct researches to discover hitherto unknown principles underlying
political phenomena and make a rich contribution to the realm of knowledge. In the ultimate
philosophy, if human life is to enrich knowledge, then political science makes a major
contribution to the store-house of knowledge. Its study helps us a lot in understanding
international relations. It explains the governmental systems of the other countries. In the
nuclear age the significance of the study of political science has increased. In order to save
the mankind from nuclear catastrophe a strong world opinion is necessary. The study of
Political Science can help in this direction.

4. Knowledge of Political dynamics

The new Public administration lays down principles which are to be followed in the conduct
of public affairs. One who has no knowledge of politics is at a great disadvantage and in
one's own interests and in the larger interests of the society as a whole, it is advisable to
have adequate knowledge of political science. To know the national and international affairs,
the condition of the various institutions, the nature and conduct of the government, the
programmes and policies of political parties; pressure groups, lobbies and various other
matters, knowledge of political science is indispensable. However intelligent, efficient and
strong-minded the leaders at the helm of affairs may be in a country, high standard of
administration is impossible without strong mental, material' and moral support from the
pep ole. When governments commit mistakes or move along the wrong path, strong and
healthy public criticism can make them mend their ways and bring them to proper path. The
principles and norms established by the political scientists are of immense utility to both the
rulers and the ruled.

5. Creation of democratic values

The study of new public administration has assumed special importance in modem times in
all democratic countries. The success of democracy depends upon the political
consciousness of its people. The study of political science makes people conscious of their
rights and duties. It also makes them vigilant. Unless the citizens of a country are vigilant,
alert, intelligent and patriotic, there is no possibility of successful working of democracy in
that country. It is rightly said that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. To save
democracy from destruction, it is necessary that the citizens should be vigilant, responsive
and politically conscious. A well-informed electorate, having a sound knowledge of political

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 15

 New Public Administration

science, is ever if vigilant, and it will not permit the government to rule arbitrarily. An
electorate having high degree of political consciousness is an asset to the nation. While such
an electorate strongly criticizes the government for its mistakes, it checks the rise of
dictatorship. In times of national emergency or foreign invasion, an enlightened electorate
alone will be capable of saving the nation from disaster.

6. Creation of good citizenship

The study of New Public administration is valuable for creating good citizenship and securing
unity of the nation. It makes citizens conscious of national objectives and goals. The good
citizenship implies the contribution of one's instructed judgement to public good. It can be
developed by the study of political science. Public administration teaches the lessons and'
virtues of good citizenship. It preaches the maxim, united we prosper, divided we fall. A
nation is destined to suffer, if there is no unity. The study of political science helps to bring
unity among the people. It makes the citizens aware of their rights, responsibilities and
duties towards the society. 10

7. Lesson of co-operation and toleration

New Public administration also teaches the lesson of co-operation, adjustment and
toleration. Society cannot prosper without co-operation. Man should learn how to co-operate
and adjust himself with his fellow-beings. People of all walks of life should co-operate for
the better development of the country. Toleration is also necessary in society. Absence of
toleration leads to anarchy. The study of public administration, therefore, teaches the
principle of toleration and co-existence. It preaches the principle of "live and let live" and
individual should live and he
should allow others to live. It broadens the minds of the individuals. It helps them to know
everything around them in this wide world. It helps them to discharge their social
responsibilities. It imparts the training which is absolutely essential for becoming good
citizens. The study of Political Science makes people conscious of the social objectives.

8. Knowledge of Public Administration indispensable

Thus, the study of new public administration has special importance in all countries. Its
study helps us to understand the mechanism and constitutional systems of modern
government, The principles of government, the domestic and foreign policies of the nation,

10
R K Arora, Public Administration in India Tradition, Trends and Transformation, Paragon International
Publishers,2006, pp-137-138

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 16

 New Public Administration

the legislature, executive and judiciary of different countries, etc. are studied in Political
science. The principles of liberty, equality and fraternity are also made clear by the study of
political science. Hence the
study of Political Science has its immense practical utility. A modern man will be imperfect
without the knowledge of public administration. He encounters politics in every sphere of
life. He is also involved in some form at some time in some kind of political system. There is
growing importance of new public administration day by day.

Value Addition – Surf and know

Further readings

Willbern, Y.. (1973). Is the New Public Administration Still with Us? [Review of Toward a
New Public Administration: The Minnowbrook Perspective; Public Administration in a Time of
Turbulence; Organizational Frontiers and Human Values; The Administrative Revolution:
Notes on the Passing of Organization Man]. Public Administration Review, 33(4), 373–378.
http://doi.org/10.2307/975118

Current Perspectives of New Public Administration

The decision-making approach under the purview of new public administration is developed
after the Second World War. This approach considers decision as the focal point around
which resolves the actions and reactions of the social units. The decision-making approach
wants to study the functioning of the states in general and the actual decision-makers of the
state in particular, This is done by three ways :- identification of decision-makers, analysis
of decision-making process and search of appropriate and precise methods for
comprehending international politics and its processes. The study of public administration
should empower the internal as well as external structure of administration in order to meet
the basic requirements social, economic and administrative environment. The basic changes
and adaptation to various changes constitute the core values of new public administration.
The essence of Citizen Centricity is the hall mark of new public administration. 11 The
usefulness of the administrator should be evaluated not only from the view of governance
but from that of individuals. The administrative actions must have their administrative
ethics and morality in executing rational decisions. There must have minimum hierarchical
pyramids in an organization. The structure of the administration should be the basic
necessities of societal problems. There is need for structural as well as functional changes in

11
ibid

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 17

 New Public Administration

the administrative set-up.The relation between Citizen and administration should become
more flexible and rational and friendly towards national development. The new public
administration is very much multidisciplinary in approach.

It has been revolving round the complex problem of adjustment of man with society and
reconciliation of liberty with authority or freedom with power. In recent times, new public
administration has shown due response to the problems, challenges and conflicts posed by
socio-economic developments all over the world as well as by more subtle intellectual
development apparently unrelated to the discipline of Political Science as traditionally
defined. It has spurred the controversy like the "traditionalist" and "modernist" approaches
to political theory and some critics have gone to the extent of pointing out that modern
political theory is at "crossroads", some others lament over its "decline" or 'demise' and
some others suggest its 'resurgence' or 'revival' .

The new administration has concentrated in recent years, on the relation of 'values to the
milieu in which the)' appear, rather than on the desk of trying to create new concepts of
values commensurate with their needs. This has resulted in diverting modern political
theorists from their traditional task of re-formulating in each age the content of values and
building up a systematic theory about administrative behaviour and the operation of
administrative institutions in their time, a task very well attempted by the economists and
sociologists their respective fields.

The new public administration theorists are interested less by an interest in

analyzing and formulating new value theory than in relating information about the
meaning, inner consistency, and, historical development of present and past political values.
This theory studies man and environment in which he lives. It puts emphasis on the study
of behaviour of man. There has been also a post-behavioural movement in public
administration.

After the emergence of New Public Administration, Riggs and Wiedner used the word the
Development Administration. It was first introduced by Donald C.Stone.It is a 60s concept.
It stood for new nations. It was started to give moral support to the aid agencies in their
functioning. Another contribution was visible from Comparative Administrative Group. 12 It

12
R K Arora, Public Administration in India Tradition, Trends and Transformation, Paragon International
Publishers,2006,pp 106-108

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 18

 New Public Administration

developed new techniques and new administrative capabilities for coping with the
administrative difficulties. In the lines of these approaches, the professionalization of
administrative development was realized. The basic management techniques were
developed and new instrumentation can be used by the effective administrator for
successful implementation of schemes of development programs. The concept of strong
bureaucracy was criticized. The idea of decentralization reconceptualised by this theory of
dynamics of development in the 70s.It created institutional framework of different avenues
to build up proper administrative space. It has empowered people to initiate policies and
implement t for its final goal. It is good example of the people and gives the opportunities to
the alert citizens and they will have a basic understanding of what the government does.
Now the State, market and Civil Society groups in the lines of new public administration are
coming forward to prove their credentials in administration. The effectiveness of the role of
the government is being spelt out. People’s participation has been the hall mark of new
public administration. Right to information has been passed in the year 2005 in order to
streamline the process of rationale of administration. A lot of discrepancies have been
diagnosed. In this context the new public management has been introduced. Another
formidable attempt that is public entrepreneurship has been set up and it has transformed
a bureaucratic government to entrepreneurial government. Multiple model of governance
has also been in the same platform to strengthen the settings of administration. This
transformation has now become piecemeal and segmented into different stakeholders.
Market model of governance has been spearheading in the current scenario. It is a 80s
concept. The current priorities on new administrative management on behalf of market
model of governance needs to be evaluated in an effective manner.

Critical Analysis
Some critics are of opinion that the old traditions of Public Administration is passing through
a crisis today. This crisis, in the ultimate analysis, is related to the crisis of the "modern
man. It is a fact that politics is concerned with human life. It should meet challenges and
responses of the present society. It should try to solve the dilemma which confronts modern
man and society. Instead of dealing with 'ought', it should take consideration of 'is'. Total
dichotomy between 'ought' and 'is' is a difficult proposition.

Value Addition- surf and know

Understanding the application

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 19

 New Public Administration

BARTON, R.. (1983). THE NEW PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: A MODEST LOOK AT THE
FEASIBILITY OF APPLICATION. Public Administration Quarterly, 7(3), 346–376. Retrieved
from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40861010

Summary

The study of New Public administration is directly linked with evaluating government
policies. It is also positively affect the developmental programmes and policies. The
inheritance of secrecy, impartiality and obligation to the inflexibility of administrative system
and the party in power are gradually being transferred to the conditions. The study of new
public administration is now starting to hub more on strategic, new innovative techniques of
analytical and effectual citizen- administration interface. At present, the study of new public
administration has to dexterously foresee needs of the policy, alternatives and decide on the
tools of execution and checking. Diverse organizational sub-cultures are
developing; policy makers are testing with a range of ways of doing a meticulous job.

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 20

 New Public Administration

Glossary

Minno Brook -Minno Brook refers to the sense of a protest against the working of the
government. It focused on relevance and change.
Dichotomy-The word is derived from Greek language. It means dividing into two
blocs.
Administrative behavior-It refers to the activities of the administration.
Pragmatism- It is a truth seeking vocabulary. It stands for the sorting out of the
problems.
Watershed- It refers to some major landmarks in administration
Favouritism-It refers to the preferential treatment with discrimination. It refers to
more support to one over another.
Hierarchy- It refers to the position and status of an employee in an organization from
top to bottom and bottom to top.
Divergence- It refers to different interests and varied opinions in administration
Normative-It refers to philosophical approach in administration
Bureaucracy-It is a process of government .The decisions are being taken by the
recognized state officials.

Questions & Answers

Long Type Questions

1. What is New Public Administration .Why it was necessary in administration?

2. What is Minnobrook Conference? Discuss its major features.
3. Critically examine the basic characteristics of New Public Administration.
4. Differentiate between conventional public administration and New Public
administration.
5. Discuss the relevance of new public administration in the present day?

Objective-Type

1. The Minnowbrook Conference was particularly held to study many

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 21

 New Public Administration

a. Political Problems
b. Social Problems
c. Environmental Problems
d. None of these
Ans –(b)
2. The development of New Public Administration was marked by article which was written
by whom Dwight Waldo titled ‘ Public Administration in a Time of Revolutions?
a. Negro &Negro
b. Pffiner
c. Weber
d. Dwight Waldo
Ans- (d)
3. The writing on new public administration lays emphasis on four major subject matter.
Which one among the following is correct?

a. Relevance,
b. Values,
c. Equity and change
d. All of these
Ans- (d)
4. Public Administration in a Time of Revolutions was published in which year?
a. 1978
b. 1976
c. 1968
d. 1970
Ans –( c )
5. MATCH THE List
List 1 List 2
1.Honey Report (A) 1967,USA
2. Philadelphia Conference (B) 1967, USA
3. Minnow brook Conference (C) 1968
4. Public Administration (D) 1971
in a time of Turbulence
Select the correct code:
1 2 3 4

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 22

 New Public Administration

(A) a b c d
(B) c a d b
(C) a b d c
(D) d a b c

Ans- (A)
Answer Key
1 b,
2 d,
3.d,
4.c,
5. a

References

Arthur S. Link, The Papers of Woodrow Wilson, vol. 7 (1890- 92),Princeton University Press,
1968.
B. Guy Peters, "Models of Governance for the 19905," in Donald F. Ketti and H. Brinton
Milward, (eds.), The State of Public Management. Baltimore:
C. Pollitt, Managerialism and (the Public Services: The Anglo-American Experience
(Cambridge, Mass:
D. Osborne and T. Gaebler, Reinventing Government: How the Entrepreneurial Spirit is
Transforming the Public Sector. Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley, 1992.
Dexter Whitefield, The Welfare State: Privatisation, Deregulation, Commercialisation of
Public Services. London: Pluto Press, 1992, p. 11.
Dolly Arora, "Politics, Markets and Social Concerns: Liberalisation and Reorganisation of
Space," Indian Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 42, (July-Sept, 1996), pp. 284-297
EW. Riggs, "Bureacrats and Political Development," in Jason L. Finkle and Richard A Gable,
(eds.), Political Development and Social Change. New York: F C. Mosher, "Research in Public
Administration", Public Administration Review, 16 (Summer J,956).
Ferrel Heady, op. cit., p. 3.
Ferrel Heady, Public Administration: A Comparative Perspective, Prentice-Hall, 1966, p, 24.
Frank J. Goodnow, Policy and Administration: Macmillan, New York,1900.

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 23

 New Public Administration

Fritz J. Roethlisberger and William J. Dickson, Management and the Worker: An Account of a
Research Program Conducted by the Western Electric Company Hawthorne works, Chicago,
Harvard University Press, 1939: Herbert Simon, Administrative Behaviour, The Free Press,
New York, 1947.
Ibid., p. 311. quoted in Flix A. Nigro, Lloyd d. Nigro, pp.4-5, Modern Public Administration,
Harper & Row Publications, New York, 1980. quoted in H. George Frederickson, New Public
Administration, the University of Alabama Press, 1980.
J. Nef and O.P. Dwivedi, "Development Theory and Administration: A Fence Around an
Empty Log?" Indian Journal of Public Administration, January- March, 1981.
John J. Corson and Joseph P. Harris, Public Administration in Modern Society, Mc-Graw-Hill,
1963, p. 12.
John J. Kirlin, "The Big Question in a Democracy," Public Administration Review, September-
October, 1996.
Kuldeep Mathur, "Development Administration in India: Old Lessons and New Concerns,"
Journal of Social and Economic Studies, Vol. 2, No.4, 1985.
Major works on the critical perspective are included in Andrew Arato and Eike Gebhardt
(eds.) The Essential Frankfurt School Reader, Urizen Books, 1978.
Marini ·op. cit., p. 32.
Minnowbrook-II has been covered in some details in Public Administration Review, March -
April 1989: Mary Ellen Guy, "Minnowbrook -I: Conclusion", PAR, March - April 1989.
Mohit Bhattacharya, Development Administration. New Delhi: Jawahar Publishers and
Distributors, 1997, P: 3.
Nicholas Henry, Public Administration and Public Affairs, Prentice- Hall, 1975, pp. 43-4.
Peter Self, Administrative Theories and Politics, George Allen & Unwin Ltd. London, 1972 p.
12
Peter Self, Administrative Theories and Politics, S. Chand & Co. Ltd., New Delhi, 1984, p.20.
Philippe Keraudren and Hans van Mierlo, "Theories of Public Management Reform and their
Practical Implications," in Tony Verheijen and David Coombes, (eds.), Innovations in Public
Management Perspectives from East and West Europe. Cheltenham: Edward Elger, 1998.
Phillip J. Cooper et al, op. cit., p.374.
R. H. Dahl, "The Science of Public Administration: Three Problems", Public Administration
Review; 7 (1947).
Robert E. Cleary, "Dialogue, Negotiation, and the Advancement of Democracy: Reflections
on Minnowbrook -II", PAR,-March- April 1989. See, in this connection, Vincent Ostrom, The

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 24

 New Public Administration

Intellectual Crisis in American Public Administration, University of Alabama Press, 1974, pp.
111-113.
S.N. Eisentadt, "Bureaucrats and Political Development," in Joseph La Palombara, (ed.),
Bureaucrats and Political Development. Princeton N.J.:
Simon, "A Comment on 'The Science of Public Administration", Public Administration Review,
7 (Winter 1947), p. 202.
Simon, ibid.,p. xiv.
Simon, op. cit., p. 44.
Stephen K. Bailey, "Ethics and the Public Service", in Public Administration, Concepts and
Cases by Richard J. Stillman II (ed.),
The two volumes are: Frank Marini (ed.), Toward a New Public Administration, Chandler,
1971 j Dwight Waldo (ed.) .Public Administration in a time of Turbulence, Chandler, 1971.
(The second volume is 'strictly not a new public administration document.) Frederickson,
"Toward a New Public Administration" in Marini (ed.), op. cit.
Woodrow Wilson, "The Study of Administration", in Dwight Waldo (ed.) Ideas and Issues in
Public Administration, McGraw-Hill, 1953.

Weblinks

1. http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/public-administration/new-public-administration-
meaning-subjects-and-other-details/63438/

2. http://www.pubad.vvrias.com/Goals-of-new-public-administration

3. http://www.academia.edu/5225863/NEW_PUBLIC_ADMINISTRATION

4. http://www.pubad.vvrias.com/Features-Of-New-Public-Administration

5. http://publicadministrationtheone.blogspot.in/2012/07/wilsons-view-of-public.html

Institute of Lifelong Learning, University of Delhi 25