Eras of Public Administration

Tracing the Evolution from Tradition to Modernity

Introduction

• Brief overview of Public Administration as a field
• The significance of understanding its evolution
• Overview of the eras: Old Public Administration, New Public Administration, New Public Management

Old Public Administration

• Time Period: Late 19th Century to mid-20th Century
• Key Focus: Establishment of bureaucracy, emphasis on administrative efficiency and hierarchy
• Theorists: Woodrow Wilson, Max Weber, Frederick Taylor
• Key Concepts:
  • Politics-Administration Dichotomy
  • Scientific Management
  • Bureaucratic Theory

Critique of Old Public Administration

• Rising concerns about rigidity, dehumanization in bureaucracy
• The lack of responsiveness to public needs
• The demand for more democratic administrative processes

Transition to New Public Administration

• Time Period: 1960s to 1980s
• Key Factors: Social equity, responsiveness, public interest
• The Minnowbrook Conference (1968) as a pivotal moment
• Theorists: Dwight Waldo, H. George Frederickson
• Key Concepts:
  • Representative Bureaucracy
  • Democratic Administration
  • Challenge to the Politics-Administration Dichotomy

New Public Administration

• Emphasis on values, ethics, and public interest
• Focus on policy-making, not just administration
• Inclusion of citizen participation and stakeholder engagement
• Addressing social equity and justice in public administration

Emergence of New Public Management

• Time Period: 1980s to Present
• Response to perceived inefficiencies in public sector
• Influenced by market-oriented ideologies
• Theorists: David Osborne, Ted Gaebler
• Key Concepts:
  • Decentralization and devolution of authority
  • Performance measurement and efficiency
  • Public-private partnerships

New Public Management

• Shift towards a more business-like approach in public administration
• Emphasis on results, output, and customer service
• Critiques: potential undermining of democratic values, overemphasis on efficiency

Current Trends and Future Directions

• The blending of New Public Administration and New Public Management principles
• Emerging trends: digital governance, collaborative networks
• Future challenges: maintaining democratic values, adapting to changing societal needs

Conclusion

• Recap of the evolution of Public Administration
• The importance of understanding historical context in current practices
• Encouragement for critical thinking about the future of the field