1
Summary
Understanding Public Administration
Chapters 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 8
, 2
Contents
1. Introduction: Understanding Public Administration ..................................................................3
2. Why do governments exist and why study them? ........................................................................4
3. What does a typical government structure looks like? ................................................................7
4. What is the role of a bureaucracy? ............................................................................................. 11
5. Who works in government? ........................................................................................................ 14
8. How can public policies solve social problems? ......................................................................... 17
, 3
1. Introduction: Understanding Public Administration
• PA is an academic discipline which is centrally concerned with the organization of
government policies and programs as well as the behaviour of officials formally responsible
for their conduct
o There are, however, different views on the way people see PA (p.6)
• PA investigates the effectiveness and efficiency of the provision of (semi-)public goods, the
rationality and legitimacy of policies and programmes, the organization and management of
the public sector, and the organization behaviour of the people working in the public sector.
• Economics are also important for the study of PA
o Economics in the private sector apply to the conduct of PA, and not only in relation to
issue of public finance
• Sociology and its theories on public order and violence, stability and change, organization and
management, organizational behaviour and the creation and functioning of societal groups are
also relevant for PA
• PA does not gather knowledge for the sake of knowledge, but in order to apply it in practice
Summary
Understanding Public Administration
Chapters 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 8
, 2
Contents
1. Introduction: Understanding Public Administration ..................................................................3
2. Why do governments exist and why study them? ........................................................................4
3. What does a typical government structure looks like? ................................................................7
4. What is the role of a bureaucracy? ............................................................................................. 11
5. Who works in government? ........................................................................................................ 14
8. How can public policies solve social problems? ......................................................................... 17
, 3
1. Introduction: Understanding Public Administration
• PA is an academic discipline which is centrally concerned with the organization of
government policies and programs as well as the behaviour of officials formally responsible
for their conduct
o There are, however, different views on the way people see PA (p.6)
• PA investigates the effectiveness and efficiency of the provision of (semi-)public goods, the
rationality and legitimacy of policies and programmes, the organization and management of
the public sector, and the organization behaviour of the people working in the public sector.
• Economics are also important for the study of PA
o Economics in the private sector apply to the conduct of PA, and not only in relation to
issue of public finance
• Sociology and its theories on public order and violence, stability and change, organization and
management, organizational behaviour and the creation and functioning of societal groups are
also relevant for PA
• PA does not gather knowledge for the sake of knowledge, but in order to apply it in practice
