Part 3

Sunday, 28 March 2021 11:56 AM

Public Administration in the policy process

1. Agenda-setting
2. Policy formulation
3. Policy adoption
4. Policy Implementation
5. Policy Evaluation

Traditional View
Ø Public administration is involved only in Policy Implementation (and some aspects of Poli
Ø Occurs in the local level where we see the actors that become prominent at the frontline
Ø Look inside those big departments, specific agencies, bureaus

Contemporary View
Ø Public administration is involved in all stages of the policy process
Ø This does not mean that all actors in the policy process are part of public administration
Ø What it means is that actors that are part of public administration are also involved in dif
Ø Shafritz: combines policy formulation and policy adoption into just one stage
○ Policy-making process: usually identify these five stages so
○ The difference between policy formulation and adoption is adopted because a num
○ Policy-adoption: visible output of this part of the process is the actual legislation, re
proposed policies are chosen,
○ Policy formulation: content of what goes out in the output, crafting of the propose
crafting of different alternatives occurs here
○ Most proposals do not go the entire cycle for example: sometimes it is stopped and

Politics-administration dichotomy
Ø Continuation of things that have been mentioned throughout the course, putting into ele
Ø Dichotomy - individuality that is separate
Ø Emerged as a principle in public admin, what it means today?

A brief background
Ø We are looking at ideas from US Public Admin because:
○ The modern form of the PH bureaucracy was first organized during the US colonial
§ US established this so the way we saw it was conformed by US public admini
§ Many features of PH bureaucracy was established that time still persists up t
icy evaluation)
es

fferent parts of the policy process

mber of different theories and concepts become associated with separated stages in understanding wha
esult of a decision process, when decisions are made as to which alternatives to adopt as the policy, on

ed policy, different actors formulate different policies, 5 bills addressing the same issue pero different ap

d no decisions is made, no policy is adopted, does not go into the next stage - back to agenda-setting

ements into which politics and administrations react

l era
istration
to the present, some are revised
 at goes on
ne of the

pproach,
A brief background
Ø We are looking at ideas from US Public Admin because:
○ The modern form of the PH bureaucracy was first organized during the US colonial
§ US established this so the way we saw it was conformed by US public admini
§ Many features of PH bureaucracy was established that time still persists up t
○ Public administration as a field of study was introduced to the PH by Americans wh
§ During the US colonial years, first institute of public admin was established in
§ That is why many ideas and insights from US find their way in public administ
Ø In US Public Administration: "jacksonian democracy" in the 19th century led to a "spoils s
○ Jackson practiced in US government, political officials and people who work in the
○ Government work is simple, and that part of democracy means involving ordinary c
○ Jackson hired ordinary folks to constitute different public organizations from local l
○ Because they are fired when politicians won, they hire their workers - democratizin
Ø Abuses of the spoils sytems led to calls for reform, leading to the enactment of the Pendl
○ This act is a watershed in US public administration
○ First time in which a perspective was adopted in professionalizing the US bureaucra
bureaucracy so that by
Ø By the beginning of the 20th century, reform movements popularized the idea of "a polit
bureaucracy many components of how the ph bureacracy was established through insigh

What does a separation of politics from public admin?

Ø Scholars usually point on critical elements usually are four:
Separation in these four elements:
P Politics Administratio
Structures - Political branches of government - Departmen
- Separation in the structures
Personnel - Elected or appointed - Hired and p
- Different in the manner how they enter politics - Competitive
Functions - Representation of the will of the people in policy decision- - Take at face
making - Effective an
- Because they are elected
Accountabilitie - To the general public (voters) - Not accoun
s - They answer to the public - To the adm
above them
Ø Is politics-administration dichotomy desirable?
○ Should we aspire to it? Is it something we want to have?
○ Politics tends to be chaotic and messy, separating administration from that affects
○ Example in the UK: there is a permanent secretary at the top of the hierarchy, imag
rising from the ranks is the permanent secretary that also enjoys security tenure
○ In the UK, cabinets and secretaries below them are the permanent secretaries so w
of stability in that sense
l era
istration
to the present, some are revised
ho helped establish the first institute of public admin in the country
n the country that is national college of public administration and governance in UP
tration in the PH
system" in the bureaucracy
government (property and education class) they were most equipped to carry out the work of the gove
citizens in the work of the government
levels to national levels - became spoil system in the bureaucracy
ng government operations
leton Act of 1883 (late 19th century)

acy as well as the establishment of meritocratic processes of recruitment hiring and promotions within

tics administration dichotomy" - for them was ideal - later on, when they came in the PH to establish the
hts and perspectives from the reform movements including from the pendleton act of 1883

on
nt, bureaus, and other agencies established by law

promoted through a meritocratic process

e process, promotions, based on performance as well as competencies and qualifications
e value of the policies decided on reflect that will
nd efficient implementation of this will as reflected in public policies

ntable to the general public

ministrative hierarchy and ultimately the political officials who supervise their work (they answer to the p
m)

the stability of how the government operates

gine for example our department of foreign affairs etc, at the top but also part of the administration - a

when there are changes in the government the secretary is permanent until he/she retires there is that
 ernment

the US

he PH

people

a career

measure
 ○ Should we aspire to it? Is it something we want to have?
○ Politics tends to be chaotic and messy, separating administration from that affects
○ Example in the UK: there is a permanent secretary at the top of the hierarchy, imag
rising from the ranks is the permanent secretary that also enjoys security tenure
○ In the UK, cabinets and secretaries below them are the permanent secretaries so w
of stability in that sense
○ Political appointees of the minister of health or secretary of health is like the CEO o
civil service - manifestation of politics-administration dichotomy in terms of structu
Ø Is politics-administration dichotomy realistic?
○ Can it be done? Is it possible?
○ People within the administration prefer politicians, so not realistic they are loyal
○ Loyalty - aspects of political culture that is prevalent, how are functions fulfilled in
○ This part of what we see on accountabilities, that ultimately administration answer
§ Because administration becomes accountable to politics, not just in the PH b
§ Politics-administration dichotomy does not exist
§ Many scholars have abandoned this, and just simply took out the more mode
§ Because the dichotomy, complete separation is not possible in the real world

Values and Public Administration

Ø Since public ad, is centrally concerned about the performance of public organizations, the
Ø Characteristics that we want from the public sector are grouped into three main heading
Ø Effectiveness
○ Achievement of policy goals
○ Responsiveness to needs of target clientele based on authorization given to act tow
○ Focus on the long-term consequences of their actions
Ø Efficiency
○ Production efficiency: least resources for maximum gain
○ Allocation efficiency: best use of resources
Ø Accountability
○ How power and resources are used: towards what purpose? And for whose benefit
○ Limits to legitimate exercise of power
Ø But how these values become reflected as concrete standards for the public sector result

Re-thinking the politics-administration dichotomy

Ø Based on different perspectives of politics
○ Defined in many ways
○ Politics as a partisan activity (parties, candidates, social movements)
§ Politics-administration dichotomy should be maintained
§ Insulates the bureaucracy from politics of partisan interests
§ Ensures stability and continuity in government operations across successive p
§ Enables neutral, expert-based information on policies
○ Politics as contestation over collectively-binding choices
§ Politics cannot be separated from administration:
§ Recognizes that individuals and groups within the bureaucracy have preferen
 the stability of how the government operates
gine for example our department of foreign affairs etc, at the top but also part of the administration - a

when there are changes in the government the secretary is permanent until he/she retires there is that

of that department but the COO chief operating officer is in effect that permanent secretary that is part
ures and personnel

admin, politics intrudes in the work of administration instead of being separate

rs to political officials so in this case we can never move politics away from administration
but all over the world

est objective from insulating administration in political interference and political influence
d

en certain values are at the core of this field of study

gs

wards the needs

t?

ts from political processes!

partisan governments

nces, interests and ideas

a career

measure

t of the