Administration Theory

Development of Administrative Theories

The European tradition of public administrative theory was based on Max Weber's conception of bureaucracy as a formal-legal institution responsible for implementing public law. This model was an ideal type that represented the highest form of rational-legal development for the state. Furthermore, it was designed to ensure equal treatment of clients through formal rules and through careful maintenance of files. While bureaucracy is generally a negative term in ordinary usage, its original intentions were more positive. In particular, the bureaucracy concept includes

• 1.
  division of labor and division of authorities,
• 2.
  hierarchy of administrative bodies, and
• 3.
  career system as the basis for the organization.

Public administration in the European tradition has been based on law, with the emphasis on the legal foundations of all public actions. Furthermore, executing public duties defined by law is incorporated into constitutional formula of executive authorities (in countries that have a written constitution), among legislative and judicature. As David Rosenbloom and Robert Kravchuk (2005) note, negatively defining administration emphasizes the autonomy of administrative agencies from legislative and judicature, also indicating that administrative actions affect rights and duties of private subjects. A legal approach to public administration, defined by lawyers, brings out the legal limits of administration and its executive nature; however, as some scientists rightfully state, public administration cannot consist solely of executing legal acts—similarly, it cannot be simple execution of policies, created without its involvement.

The American tradition in public administration has been based more on the work of Woodrow [Page 26]Wilson and his concern with the relationship between administration and politics. Wilson's famous essay, titled The Study of Administration (1887), concentrated on organization and methods of activity of administrative agencies, particularly emphasizing how administrative tasks could be performed to achieve the highest possible efficiency. Wilson also clearly distinguished spheres of politics and administration and initiated the so-called politico-administrative dichotomy. He argued that what distinguishes politics from administration is that administration executes the will of the state as identified through the political process. Numerous scholars such as Frank J. Goodnow, William F. Willoughby, and Leonard White built on Wilson's work to form the beginning of modern administrative theory.

...