Ch1. Introduction to Public Administration — Meaning and Core Values

The Meaning of Public Administration

Public Administration:
The governmental activities carried out to achieve the purposes of the state
and serve the public good

Characteristics of Public Administration:
① Public Interest: pursues collective benefit, not private gain
② Coercive Authority: may be backed by the legitimate force of the state
③ Publicness: activities oriented toward society as a whole
④ Political Nature: implements decisions made through the political process
⑤ Complexity: reconciles diverse and competing interests

Development of Public Administration as a Field:
Administrative Management (Wilson) → Governance Function Theory → Behavioral Approach
→ New Public Administration (equity & participation) → New Public Management (NPM) → New Governance

Core Administrative Values

Democracy:
Popular sovereignty, citizen participation, and accountable government
Administration operates in accordance with the will of the people

Efficiency:
Maximizing the ratio of outputs to inputs
Minimizing waste of economic resources

Effectiveness:
The degree to which goals are actually achieved
Emphasizes outcomes and impacts over mere outputs

Legality:
Administration conducted in accordance with law
Rule of law, equal protection under the law

Equity:
Fair distribution of benefits and burdens
Protection of vulnerable populations, equal opportunity

The Public Interest

Public Interest:
The interest of society as a whole; the common good

Approaches to the Public Interest:
Process Theory: the public interest emerges from compromise and adjustment among competing interest groups
Substantive Theory: the public interest exists objectively as the overall benefit of society

Public Interest vs. Private Interest:
Public interest ≠ the simple sum of private interests
Public interest: a social value that transcends individual private interests

Criteria for the Public Interest:
Constitutional values · human rights · equality · the common good
A bare majority vote does not automatically equal the public interest

Critique of New Public Management (NPM):
Overemphasis on efficiency and effectiveness → weakens the public interest, equity, and democracy
→ New Governance response: collaborative networks of government, citizens, and business

Changing Administrative Environment

Shifts in Administrative Paradigm:
Traditional Administration → New Public Management → New Governance

New Public Management (NPM):
Introduction of market mechanisms into government
Performance-based management
Contracting out; deregulation
Citizens treated as "customers"

New Governance:
Network of government, civil society, and markets
Participation and collaboration
Partnership arrangements
Co-production of public services

E-Government:
Leveraging ICT to improve administrative services
Online citizen services; data-driven public administration

Five Core Administrative Values ★★★★★ : Democracy · Efficiency · Effectiveness · Legality · Equity. These values exist in tension with one another. Memory tip: DEELE — Democracy, Efficiency, Effectiveness, Legality, Equity

Efficiency vs. Effectiveness ★★★★★ : Efficiency = output/input ratio. Effectiveness = degree of goal attainment. Memory tip: Efficiency = doing things right; Effectiveness = doing the right things

New Public Management (NPM) ★★★★☆ : Applies private-sector management techniques — market principles, performance orientation, contracting out. Criticized for eroding the public interest and equity. Memory tip: NPM = importing business methods into government

Practice Questions

Q. Give an example of a situation in which efficiency and effectiveness cannot both be maximized at the same time.

Healthcare services illustrate this tension well: effective treatment (achieving the goal of restoring health) may require high-cost interventions, reducing efficiency. Conversely, cutting costs (improving efficiency) can lower the quality of care and reduce effectiveness. The two values are in fundamental tension with each other.

Q. What are the main limitations of New Public Management?

Overemphasis on market logic undermines publicness and equity. Performance metrics are poorly suited to public services that are difficult to measure. Treating citizens as “customers” neglects democratic participation. Expanding contracting out blurs lines of public accountability.