ob rewiew
Evolution of Public Administration
Politics–administrative dichotomy
Reflects the notion that “politics’ is about deciding what government should do, and “administration” is about how to do it
Public Administration in Canada: Pre-Confederation
Patronage
What is this?
Does it still exist today?
Adoption of Weberian (Max Weber) principles of bureaucracy following Confederation:
Hiring based on merit, not friendship
Formal written rules of conduct
Professionalism
Public Administration in the Keynesian State (1945-1970s)
John Maynard Keynes, British economist
Large measure of state intervention in the economy and the use of deficit financing to prime the pump when the economy is in downturn
Commitment to full employment; construction of the social safety net (welfare, unemployment insurance, pensions, family allowance, Medicare)
Started in the 1940s
“Prime the Pump” to stimulate economic growth
See 2008 in Canada and the US
Accompanied by growing demand for public social services, and in turn, the growth of the public sector; emergence of a large, sophisticated, well-trained public service at the federal level
Transformation of public service in the 1960s and 1970s
Public Administration in the Neo-conservative State
Limited role for government
Public service downsizing, budget cuts
“New Public Management” (NPM)
Government doing “too much rowing, not enough steering”
Pioneered by Margaret Thatcher (UK), Ronald Reagan (US) and Brian Mulroney/Jean Chrétien (CDN)
Motivated by large debt and more economical ways of doing things:
A rise in public distrust of politicians and bureaucrats
Globalization
Result: a roll-back of the state (focus on privatization, deregulation, contracting out of public services, decentralization, downsizing, expenditure reduction initiatives, user fees)
“WHY DON’T THEY RUN GOVERNMENT MORE LIKE THEY RUN A BUSINESS?”
Public Sector priority is the “public good” accountable to all citizens benefits all citizens
Politics–administrative dichotomy
Reflects the notion that “politics’ is about deciding what government should do, and “administration” is about how to do it
Public Administration in Canada: Pre-Confederation
Patronage
What is this?
Does it still exist today?
Adoption of Weberian (Max Weber) principles of bureaucracy following Confederation:
Hiring based on merit, not friendship
Formal written rules of conduct
Professionalism
Public Administration in the Keynesian State (1945-1970s)
John Maynard Keynes, British economist
Large measure of state intervention in the economy and the use of deficit financing to prime the pump when the economy is in downturn
Commitment to full employment; construction of the social safety net (welfare, unemployment insurance, pensions, family allowance, Medicare)
Started in the 1940s
“Prime the Pump” to stimulate economic growth
See 2008 in Canada and the US
Accompanied by growing demand for public social services, and in turn, the growth of the public sector; emergence of a large, sophisticated, well-trained public service at the federal level
Transformation of public service in the 1960s and 1970s
Public Administration in the Neo-conservative State
Limited role for government
Public service downsizing, budget cuts
“New Public Management” (NPM)
Government doing “too much rowing, not enough steering”
Pioneered by Margaret Thatcher (UK), Ronald Reagan (US) and Brian Mulroney/Jean Chrétien (CDN)
Motivated by large debt and more economical ways of doing things:
A rise in public distrust of politicians and bureaucrats
Globalization
Result: a roll-back of the state (focus on privatization, deregulation, contracting out of public services, decentralization, downsizing, expenditure reduction initiatives, user fees)
“WHY DON’T THEY RUN GOVERNMENT MORE LIKE THEY RUN A BUSINESS?”
Public Sector priority is the “public good” accountable to all citizens benefits all citizens