Name: Jay-ar D.

Calucin Date submitted: February

17,2024
SECTION: Homework #2
Subject: MPA 201- Theory and Practice of Public Administration

1. Public administration is a discipline under the social sciences where it

revolves around the public aspects of management. As an academic

discipline, it studies the implementation of government policy and preparation

for civil servants to provide public service.It is a "wide-ranging field" whose

main purpose is to promote management and policies for effective

government. Some of the different definitions of the term are: "the

administration of public programs”; the "translation of politics into the reality

that citizens see every day"; and "studying government decision-making,

analyzing policies, the various things that make them, and the things which is

needed to develop an alternative policy. Public administration is "about the

organization of government policies and programs as well as the behavior of

officials (usually unelected) who are formally responsible for their behavior."

Many non-elected public servants can be considered civil servants, including

heads of city, county, regional, state and federal departments such as

municipal budget directors, human resources managers, city managers,

census managers, state mental health directors, and cabinet secretaries.

Public administrators are civil servants who work in public departments and

agencies, at all levels of government. that is the role of public administration, if

we take this wonderful role to heart, we can say that the management system

in a country is good, but in modern times, public administration does not have

a good image because of the exploitation of a few people in high position in

 government and a few leaders of private organizations. The beauty of the

system is deplorable, not only is it used correctly by a few people who can

take advantage of it, that's why even those who do righteous things become

the same way people look at them even if what they do is good and righteous.

2. Public administration is not a science there are conflicting views and opinions

regarding the issue of Public Administration being a science or not. A number

of thinkers refute its claim to being a science. Subscribing to this view, some

thinkers observed that no one knows better than the occupants of social

science chairs that their discipline is so fallible and erratic that to persist in the

term scientific is an open invitation to ridicule. It is for this obvious reason that

they deny if the status of science and argue that if human affairs obey

causality rules, it may be true that because of infinite complexity of human

affairs, these affairs should not demonstrate any “laws” at all to be a finite

being in finite time similarly, Finer (1970) is of the opinion that “ we cannot say

clearly what administrative principles are or what they are not”. Thus, Finer

has also denied Public Administration, the status of being a science. Next is

Public Administration as a Science. There are another group of thinkers who

hold the view that Public Administration is a Science. The thinkers present the

following arguments to back up their point of view. First, they argue that the

administration is an activity which demands correct analysis and accurate

orientation in relation to other sciences. We can analyze and through analysis

to understand and through understanding to make possible the final function

of rational and creative action this is the highest objective of science. Second

is Wallace B. Donham (1936) is of the opinion that administration is a social

scince with its own techniques, its own abstractions, its own problems of
theory. It is vitally concerned in integrating other sciences, physical,

psychological and social, at the point where action in involved. Third is Pfiffner

(1960) observed that the specialists in public administration have achieved a

considerable degree of uniformity in their thinking on the problems of

administration which tend to exist irrespective of the subject matter of service

or function being performed. If a considerable degree of uniformity in the

manner of approach to the solution of problems among specialists is a

characteristic of a science, the public administration has some right to claim

them to be one said by Urwick (1937). Fourth Beard says “ if we may rightly

use term science in connection with a body of exact knowledge, derived from

experienced and observation and a body of rules axioms which experience

has demonstrated to be applicable to concrete practice and to work out in

practice approximately and for convenience speak of science of

administration. Urwick is one among those thinkers who believe that at

present public administration is not a perfect science and large data are being

collected and significant research is being carried out on the subject. He is of

the view that the day is near public administration will become a perfect

science like physics, chemistry or biology. Next is Willoughby (1958) observes

that in administration, there are certain fundamental principles of general

application analogous (similar) to those characterizing any science which

must be observed if the end of administration, efficiency in operation, is to be

secured and that these principles are to be determined only by rigid

application of the scientific method to their investigation. Public administration

is also an art. The following arguments may be advanced in this regard. It

deals with the actual working of administration. An administrator has to think

 and decide wherever he meets with any particular problem or situation.

Lyndall Urwick (1937) observes that administrative skill cannot be bought.

There are no hints and tips and short-cuts. It has to be paid for in the only

currency which is sound in this market hard study, and harder thinking,

mastery of intellectual principles reinforced by genuine reflection on actual

problems, for which the individual has real responsibility. Next is Ordway Tead

(1951) in his book arts of public administration has gone to the extent of

mentioning that it is an art of the highest order. In his own words. If the works

with paints on clay, with combination of words and ideas in literature. If these

are fine arts, we are certainly entitled to call that labour a fine art which would

bring closer together in purpose the organized relationship of individuals and

groups to each other. Thus, administration is an art and its evolves gradually.

Although some principles of administration are useful to an administrator, this

knowledge is not sufficient and he has to apply his mind to a particular

situation. And only then, can he take action to achieve his end. According to

E.N. Gladden (1953) administration as a specialized activity has gradually

emerged with the development of society. It is a normal product of the division

of labour. Administration is a distinct activity calling for specialized knowledge

and technique. To conclude all of the arguments we may say that public

administration has both the qualities of science and art. But in reality, it is

neither a perfect science nor a complete art. It can said without the least

doubt that it is one of the social sciences.

3. It is said that the work in public organizations is guided by commitments to

public service ideals. This is the basic difference between the two sectors.

However public sector organization are involved with management and for the
reason public administration is often confused with business management.

Early writers in the field often suggested that government should become

more like business. The reason to express this device was that private sector

organizations were considered more efficient and effective. The reason to

efficiency was often attributed to the profit earned. Observer, therefore make

the primary distinction between business and government that of profit. While

government is concerned with providing services or regulating individual or

groups behavior in the public interest. The canvass and scope of government

is much broader since it provides service to the citizens and not to specific

customer. For example company that manufactures cars will be dealing with

those who can afford cars. While government provides roads which use by

those who have animal driven carts, bicycles, motorbike etc. in this way all

would agree that the context of public management significantly changes the

work itself. The basic differences and similarities are followed the first one is

constitution. In Pakistan, the federal constitution defines the environment of

public administration and from it originates laws that affect the executive

branch of the government. It tells that the laws are to be legislated by the

legislature and the public administration has to implement the laws and the

policies. In case of private sector there is no constitution. Although there is no

legal binding which has different nature and content. Basic political science

tell us that executive, legislature, and courts are responsive to different

constituents and political pressures and the all three branches have legitimate

interest in public administration, because all these represent branches that

affect it in its own way. Their respective constituency or the group they

represent. Example legislature represent their vote bank. The constituency of

courts are judges and clients. The executive represents their own group of

civil servants. Beside the constitutional framework creates a system of

federalism that allows overlap in the activities of federal and provincial

administration. Often the federal government will create a program and rely on

the provinces to implement it. Such a situation is not found in private

business. Next is the public interest is good of larger number of people that is

any good or service is provided which is used by large number of citizens.

Private interest is limited as compared to public interest. Example education

for all vs education for selected few. Private sector will provide education to

those who have the ability to pay, while government will provide education to

all with low tuition fee. Similarly the benefit of maintaining law and order is for

all and not to the selected few. Next is ambiguity in the private sector profit is

the basic measure of evaluating performance of organization in business. The

same is not true in public agencies, and where making or losing money is not

the main criterion for success or failure. The objectives of public organization

are stated in terms of service provision. For example an agency’s mission

may be to protect the quality of the environment or to provide ab adequate

level of rehabilitative services to disabled. In both the situations, the

government may spend more and the purpose of spending may not be

making profit but to provide service. In this way we see that the goals of public

agencies are not as clear as private sector. These goals are less quantifiable.

Next is pluralistic decision-making means when more than one type of group

is the beneficiaries or affectees. Pluralism means that people belong to

different ethnic, racial, regional, cultural backgrounds. Since people are

different ethnically and culturally, their demand and needs vary. There would
be also divergent views on issues of public interest. For example people of a

region would need roads, while people of other region might need dams.

Since the money available in the same. There is need to build consensus. In

private sector a company would desire to manufacture a two wheeled vehicle,

keeping in view the income of buyer. It does not seek any consensus on that.

We can say pluralistic decision making of public sector is different from the

private sector decision making. Next is visibility in parliamentary democracies,

managers operate with much greater visibility than their counterparts in

industry because they are constantly being watch by media. One comes

across reports in newspapers about the inefficient performance of some

government departments that come in contact with public more frequently. So

inefficient, undemocratic, injustice behavior of public organization got

reported. Unlike the behavior of managers in private organization. Thus public

manager’s actions become more visible as compared to the actions of private

manager’s. this difference is due to the fact that public manager’s action

affects large number of people. Next is market although government policies

and actions affect markets, but government does not face same challenge of

market as the private sector. The distinct differences between public and

private sector in this regards are public agencies do not face competition of

other firms as the private sector organizations would do. Price of

governmental operations is established through budgetary routines rather

than fixed at the market. The prices of goods and services in the private

sector are determined through the principle of demand and supply. If the

supply of a good is shorty, then it price would be high and vice versa. The

government does not fix the price of its services on this principle. If the price
 of good or service is fixed. It is fixed on its budgetary allocation that is how

much spent on a good by the government in its budget. The remoteness of

market forces from most public administrative operations has profound

consequences. Since the prices are not fixed in the market, governments

operation and expenditure become too large which has affect on its public

financial management. Some of these services and products provided by

government are referred to as public goods. What are public goods? These

are goods such as: defense, roads, street light etc. Next is less efficient there

is no often the allegation that public organizations are less efficient. It means

that public organization do not maximize output with given resources. This

allegation is not new and because of this allegation there have been efforts to

make public organizations as efficient as private organization. Lastly is power

there are different kinds of power that organizations possess. But the power of

government is different and omnipresent. The distinctive power of

government is as follow: power to regulate, government can regulate private

sector by formulating laws. These laws are binding on private sector and they

have to abide by it. Next is power to coerce only government has the power to

use force and to put people behind the bars for violating the law.Thus power

of punishment can only be used by government, and no private organization

has this power. Lastly is pervasiveness the government laws and regulations

have general applicability. The most common example of this is application of

traffic laws all over the country and its acceptability by all.

4. The five characteristics of public administration I will discuss are serving the

public interest, formulation of rules and procedures, transparency in the

government, equality in the society and ensures compliance with public

policies. The first characteristic of public administration is to serve the interest

of people through service provision. Public administration is an important

element that distinguishes, the private from the public. It does not involve

profit-making, hence people from different parts of the economy.Provision of

important needs to people ranges from health, security, development,

counseling, and management duties. Generally, the public sector, in most

countries, issues passports, and driving licenses, and run immigration task

forces. Hence the importance of public administration can be a critical

department that needs special care, and efficiency to give equal satisfaction

to the general public. Second is formulation of rules and procedures.The

formulation of rules shall implement the public principles, policies, decisions,

and plans to effectively help the organizations operate effectively and

efficiently. Public administration ensures there is good compliance with the

legislative principles established by the Legislation Law and conforms to the

provisions of the Constitution, laws, administrative regulations, and other

superior laws.The formulation of rules embodies the principle of uniting the

powers and responsibilities of administrative organs and, while vesting

necessary powers in the relevant administrative organs, provides the

conditions and procedures for executing such powers, as well as

responsibilities they shall undertake.

Public administrators manage State Council administrative regulations,

decisions, and orders, departmental rules may not set norms that impair the

rights of citizens, legal persons, and other organizations or increase their

obligations, and may not increase the powers or reduce the statutory duties of

the department. The third is transparency in government. Public

administration acts as a tool for addressing local government transparency,

providing adequate information flow, strong civil society, effective and

transparent financial management systems, and procurement regulations.

Local government transparency has included supporting the implementation

of legislation that promotes transparent procurement processes in the public

sector.Transparency is a fundamental element of abolishing corruption in the

public sector. A transparent way of management in governance is important to

local governments and the communities they serve because corruption

threatens good governance, leads to the misallocation of resources, harms

people, public planning, and private sector development, and also distorts

public policy. Hence controlling corruption is vital and this is archived through

the process of ensuring transparency. Next is equality in society,‘Equality’ is a

contested concept: “People who praise it or disparage it disagree about what

they are praising or disparaging” (Dworkin 2000, p. 2). Our first task is

therefore to provide a clear definition of equality in the face of widespread

misconceptions about its meaning as a political idea. Public administration

provides equality’ (or ‘equal’) which signifies correspondence between a group

of different objects, persons, processes, or circumstances that have the same

qualities.Equality in its prescriptive usage is closely linked to morality and

justice, and distributive justice in particular. Further, people and movements

throughout history have used the language of justice to contest inequalities.

But what kind of role does equality play in a theory of public administration.

Philosophers have sought to clarify this by defending a variety of public

principles and conceptions of equality. Lastly is ensures compliance with

public policies.Public administration ensures compliance with public policies

because Public policy is not worth anything if employees and people do not

follow it. The workforce and the public may not easily adapt to changes in

policy. Further, employees may be reluctant to change practices in their

everyday workflows. It’s key to involve HR in this process.Most importantly,

make sure to communicate company policy and procedures well. Part of this

is to ensure they are well documented and readily available; both digitally and

physically. Public administration furthermore, makes sure that public sector

employees understand why policy and procedures are the way they are, or

why they have changed. It may also be necessary to implement employee

training on how to properly adapt procedures.And lastly, public administration

helps with implementing a reward system for employees who comply and

develop sanctions in case of violations.