Barte, Chastity

PolSci 150, Session 2

I.Differentiate public from private organization
It is important to understand the difference between the private sector and public sector because
your privacy rights will differ depending on the legislation that an organization is governed under.
The Private Sector
The private sector is usually composed of organizations that are privately owned and not part of
the government. These usually includes corporations (both profit and non-profit), partnerships,
and charities.
An easier way to think of the private sector is by thinking of organizations that are not owned or
operated by the government. For example, retail stores, credit unions, and local businesses will
operate in the private sector.
The Public Sector
The public sector is usually composed of organizations that are owned and operated by the
government. This includes federal, provincial, state, or municipal governments, depending on
where you live. Privacy legislation usually calls organizations in the public sector a public body or
a public authority.
Some examples of public bodies in Canada and the United Kingdom are educational bodies,
health care bodies, police and prison services, and local and central government bodies and their
departments.
http://www.privacysense.net/difference-between-private-public-sector/

(Public-Private Distinction in Organization Theory: A Critique and Research Strategy

by James L. Perry and Hal G. Rainey)
- Dictionaries cite the origins of public in the Latin word for people. Matters pertaining to the
people of a community, nation or state.
- Private derives from the Latin for deprived or set apart, as in being deprived of public office or
set apart from govt as a personal matter.
- Public organizations often have been equated with governmental bureaus and private
organizations have been identified as all other organizations or as business firms.
- (Benn and Gaus Difference between public and private): (a) interest distinguishing whether
benefits or losses are communal or restricted to individuals; (b) access referring to the
openness of facilities, resources or information; and (c) agency which refers to whether a
person or an organization is acting as an individual or an agent for the community as a whole.
http://www.indiana.edu/~jlpweb/papers/The%20Public-Private%20Distinction_Perry_Rainey_AMR_Apr%201988.pdf

II.Explain the meaning of public administration

Public administration is the implementation of government policy and also an academic
discipline that studies this implementation and prepares civil servants for working in the public
service. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal... is to advance
management and policies so that government can function." Some of the various definitions
which have been offered for the term are: "the management of public programs"; the "translation
of politics into the reality that citizens see every day"; and "the study of government decision
making, the analysis of the policies themselves, the various inputs that have produced them, and
the inputs necessary to produce alternative policies."
Public administration is "centrally concerned with the organization of government policies and
programs as well as the behavior of officials (usually non-elected) formally responsible for their
conduct" Many unelected public servants can be considered to be public administrators,
including heads of city, county, regional, state and federal departments such as municipal
budget directors, human resources (H.R.) administrators, city managers, census managers, state
mental health directors, and cabinet secretaries. Public administrators are public servants
working in public departments and agencies, at all levels of government.
In 1947 Paul H. Appleby defined public administration as "public leadership of public affairs
directly responsible for executive action". In a democracy, it has to do with such leadership and

executive action in terms that respect and contribute to the dignity, the worth, and the potentials
of the citizen. One year later, Gordon Clapp, then Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority
defined public administration "as a public instrument whereby democratic society may be more
completely realized." This implies that it must "relate itself to concepts of justice, liberty, and
fuller economic opportunity for human beings" and is thus "concerned with "people, with ideas,
and with things." According to James D. Carroll & Alfred M. Zuck, the publication by "Woodrow
Wilson of his essay, " The Study of Administration" in 1887 is generally regarded as the
beginning of public administration as a specific field of study"
Drawing on the democracy theme and discarding the link to the executive branch, Patricia M.
Shields asserts that public administration "deals with the stewardship and implementation of the
products of a living democracy." The key term "product" refers to "those items that are
constructed or produced" such as prisons, roads, laws, schools, and security. "As implementers,
public managers engage these products." They participate in the doing and making of the
"living" democracy. A living democracy is "an environment that is changing, organic", imperfect,
inconsistent and teaming with values. "Stewardship is emphasized because public administration
is concerned "with accountability and effective use of scarce resources and ultimately making
the connection between the doing, the making and democratic values."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_administration

III.Define the concept of bureaucracy

A bureaucracy (/bjukrsi/) is "a body of non-elective government officials" and/or "an
administrative policy-making group". Historically, bureaucracy was government administration
managed by departments staffed with nonelected officials. Today, bureaucracy is the
administrative system governing any large institution.
Since being coined, the word "bureaucracy" has developed negative connotations for some.[9]
Bureaucracies are criticized when they become too complex, inefficient, or too inflexible.[10] The
dehumanizing effects of excessive bureaucracy were a major theme in the work of Franz Kafka,
and were central to his most well-known work, The Trial. The elimination of unnecessary
bureaucracy is a key concept in modern managerial theory and has been a central issue in
numerous political campaigns.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureaucracy
IV.Explain the political context of public administration
Public Administration: An Action Orientation
By Robert Denhardt, Janet Denhardt, Tara Blanc

V. Public Administration & Politics

KEY CHARACTERISTICS
Power

Structure

Purpose
Office Tenure
Activities

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
POLITICS
Have limited power within in
Have unlimited power based
various departments.
on majority citizens choice
through election.
It is the largest organization,
Representative from particular
and dominant force of the
parties have won in the
country.
election to govern the
government.
To serve the public or people
Fulfill citizen interest to get
in the society.
support.
Permanent.
Changes within in five years.
Repeaters.
Take action on current issues.

VI.Based on the table above, there is key characteristic of public administration. One of the key is power. In power cope, public
administration has its own power and very limited within in various department such as Ministry Of Higher Education cannot
interfere with another ministry but they can collaborate with each other. But in politics scope, it has unlimited power because
based on majority citizen choice through election. The winning side that has been choose by the citizen can be implement any
government policies.
VII.Second is structure. In public administration it is the largest organization and dominant force of the country. Such as
Malaysia, public administration as a government agent that the work for the government. In political scope, representatives
from particular parties have won in the election to govern the government. For example, every cabinet member that won the
election has been given authorities to choose its own cabinet members. Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was chosen to be a minister
of education because his party has won the election.
VIII.The third key is purpose. The public administration purpose is to serve the public or people in the society. For example, they
must be work on clock to run the government ministry or department in the state of federal level to give their serve to the
public. Public as a consumers must be treat well and it is show that all public servant is effective. In political scope, the
interest to fulfill citizen to gain support. For example, in Muar, elected representatives have to fulfill the citizen of Muar by
providing infrastructure.

IX.The forth key is office tenure. In public administration, the period is permanent. In politics scope is they can be change within
5 years term. Every 5 years there will be a general election that conduct in every level. When a ruler parties has won the
election, it can be change of government policies.
X.The fifth key is activities. In public administration, the activities are repeaters. Such as all government body has its own
objectives and its make permanent. In political scope, the activity is depending on current issue.
XI.Accountability in public administration is unlimited and all the money and resources are come from the tax payer money. In
political scope is, when a representative want to reelect again in next general election, he must use his own money to gain
support by the people. For example, in Malaysia, the candidates must be given a deposit of RM10000 to the SPR.
XII.Recruitment in public administration is by the Public Administration Council or SPA. The public servant was chosen by their
qualification. All the government position is throught SPA. In political scope, all citizen of Malaysia has their right to be
candidates and can be elected as parliament member in Dewan Rakyat.
http://greattalexander.blogspot.com/p/differences-between-pa-politics.html

What is the Relationship between Public Administration and Political

Science?
Public Administration deals with the administrative activities of government and Pfiffner
defines it "as the co-ordination of collective efforts to implement public policy."
It covers everything the civil agencies of government do, or could do, to help the body-politic
attain its purpose.
Public administration is really a part of Political Science, though it is now regarded and
accepted as a separate subject of study. This dichotomy arose because of the two senses in
which the term public administration was used in the nineteenth century.
In a broader sense, public administration referred to the work involved in the actual conduct of
the affairs of government, regardless of the particular branch concerned. In a narrow sense, it
referred to the operations of the administrative branch only, with defined functions of enforcing
the policy as distinct from the policy determining function.
The policy determining function was deemed to be the political branch of government whereas
the policy enforcing function its administrative branch. This distinction between the two
branches of government led public administration to be regarded as a separate subject of
study. Good now asserted,
"The fact is that there is a large part of administration which is unconnected with politics,
which should be relieved very largely, if not altogether, from the control of political bodies.
It is unconnected with politics because it embraces fields of semi- scientific, quasi-judicial and
quasi-business or commercial activitieswork which has little, if any, influence on the
expression of the true State will."
But that is not exactly so. Administration is only a means to the attainment of the objectives of
the State. While discussing the purpose and scope of Public Administration, Leonard D. White
says, "The immediate objective of the art of public administration is the most efficient
utilization of resources at the disposal of officials and employees.
In their broader context, the ends of administration are the ultimate objects of the State itself
the maintenance of peace and order, the progressive achievement of justice, the instruction of
the young, protection against disease and insecurity, the adjustment and compromise of
conflicting groups and interestsin short, the attainment of the good life:"
This similarity in the ends of Public Administration and Political Science, particularly in the
context of a democratic government and a Welfare State, made possible, in the thirties of the
present century, an evaluation of the relationship between the two. It is now generally agreed
that the attempt to demarcate clear-cut functions of government is impossible. Government is
a continuous process.
It is true that the process contains phases. Legislation is one phase, administration another.
But these are merged together and at certain points become indistinguishable. The distinction
between policy determining functions and administrative functions is too hazy, for, as Herbert
Simon says, the whole process of government and administration is one of "decision-making."
Homer Durham goes to the extent of accepting the concept of "Administrative Politics."
This is, again, an extreme view. Yet, it is incorrect to assert that Political Science and Public
Administration are separate and autonomous structures or processes. "To argue," as White

says, "That they should be separate and independent is hardly defensible, given the nature of
democratic government."
Even the traditional concept of civil service neutrality is undergoing a radical change. "The
concept," writes S. Lall, is "being rapidly transformed, without a conscious realisation, from a
negative doctrine of political sterilization and neutrality to a positive, non-partisan participation
in the management of the country's affairs." Administration today is no longer just the
execution of policy; it reacts upon policy and actively participates in its making.
http://www.publishyourarticles.net/knowledge-hub/political-science/what-is-the-relationshipbetween-public-administration-and-political-science.html