Public administration

People who work in public administration implement government policies and make sure they are effective. They plan, organize, direct, coordinate, and control government operations. The field of public administration combines elements of political science, management, and public policy.

Public administration involves making sure essential services are effective and efficient. Essential services address people's basic needs, like healthcare, education, and transportation.

Public administrators work in various sectors, including local, state, and federal governments; nonprofit organizations; international organizations; and education. They play a crucial role in policy-making, budgeting, human resources management, and decision-making processes. In universities, professors of public administration study government decision-making, analyze policies, and think about how to improve policies and programs.

A group of public servants at a meeting

The importance of public administration

As a stabilizing force in society

Public administration aims to improve the stability and well-being of a society. It does this by:

• Maintaining law and order
• Ensuring that governance is effective
• Managing public resources
• Implementing policies
• Providing essential services and serving people's needs

In a democratic system, even though elected officials change after regular intervals, administration remains more or less the same. This ensures that government plans and policies are not interrupted or changed every time new officials are elected.

As an instrument for solving social problems

Public administration also focuses on solving social problems like poverty, underdevelopment, unemployment, and extremism. It does this by managing public resources, maintaining law and order, and providing essential services.

As a way to give service and protection

Public administration involves serving, protecting, and ensuring the rights of regular people. It aims to ensure security, safety and order within society. It also provides protection and relief to the people in the wake of social upheavals, epidemics, natural disasters, social disturbances, violence, and poverty resulting from social evils, diseases, and economic problems.

Other websites

Canada

• The Institute of Public Administration of Canada

Hong Kong SAR, China

• Hong Kong Public Administration Association

Europe

• National Institute of Public Administration - Europe/Portugal
• EAPAA European Association for Public Administration Accreditation
• EGPA European Group of Public Administration Archived 2007-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
• NISPAcee Network of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration in Central and Eastern Europe
• EUPAN European Public Administration Network Archived 2007-12-15 at the Wayback Machine
• EPSA European Public Service Award Archived 2008-01-01 at the Wayback Machine

Holland

• Dutch Association for Public Administration (In Dutch)
• Public Administration starting page Archived 2007-10-20 at the Wayback Machine (In Dutch)

India

• Indian Institute of Public Administration

Philippines

• University of the Philippines - National College of Public Administration and Governance Archived 2009-12-16 at the Wayback Machine

Poland

• National School of Public Administration, Warsaw, Poland

Turkey

• Faculty of Political Science - Public Administration (Turkey)

United Kingdom

• How to be a civil servant under the British or Westminster system

United States

• Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management
• American Society for Public Administration Archived 2019-10-29 at the Wayback Machine
• National Academy of Public Administration
• National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration

Suggested reading

• Smith, Kevin B. and Licari, Michael J. Public Administration - Power and Politics in the Fourth Branch of Government, ISBN 1-933220-04-X