PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: Meaning

Over the years, Public Administration has gained immense importance since the emergence of government. Public Administration plays vital role in the capitalist and socialist states. It is a tool not only for the protecting and restraining but also advancing of government. As L. D. White would put it, “its nature, contents and scope –all go to make it the heart of the problem of modern government.” In nations like India, which are paving ways to ameliorate the many teeming tons public administration has, become the tool for change and advancement / powerful agent for efficient national integration.

According to E. N. Gladden, ‘Administration is a long and slightly pompous word, but has an humble meaning, for it means to care for or to look after people, to manage affairs.’ The word administration has been derived from the Latin words ad and ministiare which is interpreted to mean “serve”. In a layman’s understanding, Public Administration means ‘management of affairs’ or ‘looking after the people’. Public Administration is the system of management practised by all kinds of group of people ranging from a family setting to a full-blown society. As quickly opined by L. D. White, administration is a ‘process common to all group effort; public or private, civil or military, large scale or small scale. It is a process of work in a departmental store, a bank, a school, a hotel or a city.’

Morestein Marx opined that “Administration is the determined action taken in pursuit of a conscious purpose. It is the systematic ordering of affairs and the calculated use of resources aimed at making those things happen which we want to happen.” And in the words of Sir Simon, “In the broadest sense, Administration can be defined as the activities of groups co-operating to accomplish common goals.” In more simple sense, Sir Pfiffner on his part sees Administration as “the organization and direction of human and material resources to achieve desired ends.” It will be incomplete if Brook Adams is not mentioned: accordingly he insisted in his thesis that “administration is the capacity of co-ordinating many and often conflicting social energies in a single organism, so adroitly that they shall operate as unity.”

Public Administration has been given several consistent definitions over the years. We look here just a few: Luther Gulick defines public administration as “the part of the science of administration which has to do with government and thus concerns itself primarily with the executive branch where the work of Government is done.” In conclusion, I would lean my voice to Marshal Dimock who said “Public Administration is the fulfillment or enforcement of public policy as declared by the competent authorities. Public Administration is law in action; it is the executive side of Government.