Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Public Administration
S Ranugge
B. A. (Hons), M.A. (ISS), SLAS
Session 2
Session Objectives:
At the end of the session you will be
able to Understand;
the evolutionary process of public
administration concepts up to the
latter part of the last century
the principles of bureaucracy and its
validity as a public administration
model
Traditional Model
Introduction:
Public administration has a long history:
E.g. construction of pyramids in ancient
Egypt, ancient irrigation system in Sri
Lanka
Emperors and kings ruled their dynasties
and kingdoms through officials
Administration by amateurs and
personnel loyal to leaders
Traditional Model
Patronage and nepotism in
recruitments
Corruption, misuse and personal gains
by officials
The Spoils System of Administration in
the US till the latter part of 19 th century
Change in Presidency means change in
administration
Traditional Model
Demand for reforms and the
beginning of bureaucratic form of
administration
The need for regime continuation
with bureaucracy
Bureaucracy to function under the
control of political leadership
Traditional Model
Northcote-Trevelyn Report in Britain
(1854)
Abolition of patronage in recruitment to
the public service
Open competitive Examination for
recruitment under a central
examination board
Young men to be recruited to the lower
ranks
Traditional Model
Reorganization of staff as intellectual
and mechanical
Promotions from within the service
on merit basis
Gradual implementation of
recommendations
The Report impact on the US.
Traditional Model
Problems with the spoils systems
killing of President Garfield in 1881
by a disappointed jobseeker.
Corruptions through out the country
The Civil Service Act (1883) also
called the Pendleton Act.
Establishment of Civil service
Commission
Traditional Model
Competitive examination for
recruitments to the classified service
Merit-based appointments
Recruitments to the lower grade
Probation period before confirmation on
the post
Apportionment of appointments
according to the population of the states
and cities.
Traditional Model
Woodrow Wilsons contribution to
reforms
He was inspired by the Weberian
Model
Idea of distinct professional public
service
Recruited and appointed on merit
Politically neutral
Traditional Model
Permanent and continuance despite
political changes
Politicians to make policies and
Administrators to implement them
Webers theory of
bureaucracy:
1. Division of labor
2. Hierarchy
3. Promotion based on merit and
professional skills
4. Development of a career service
5. Reliance on and use of rules and
regulation
6. Impersonality of relationships
Merits of bureaucratic
theory
The problem of
The traditional model does not
explain the role played by
administrators in management and
policy-making
The problem of
Adherence to rules reduce the
technical efficiency
Clashes between politicians and
bureaucrats over this superiority (in
Sri Lanka at independence)
Politicians were critical of
bureaucracy in the 1970s in the
western democracies
In conclusion
The tradition model dominated the
20th century public administration
Impersonality and consistency of the
bureaucratic model are valid aspects
of modern organizations
Inherent weaknesses of the model
lead to reform the public sector in
the latter part of the 20th century.