Public Administration: Politics, Executives, and Judiciary - Essay Sample

Introduction

Frank J. Goodnow explains different aspects of public administration and the various aspects in terms of the relationship between politics and administration. Governments are divided into three different arms which include executive, legislature, and judiciary to be able to execute its authority over the people it rules. The separation of powers between the three arms of government allow the arms to offer services for the people independently and enabling the people to get the reforms and the services that they need - the three arms of government work in consultations with each other in the administration of a country. Politics, on the other hand, monitors activities done in administration and aligns the administration according to the will of the people.

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According to Goodnow, politics deals with the expression of the wishes and ideas of the people through elected leaders that represent the people in making key decisions (Goodnow, 2017). Politics involves coming up with policies that guide the administrators on how people wish to be governed. Administration involves the implementation of the policies that are implemented by the political class. Administrators are supposed to be unbiased when implementing policies and serving the general public. There should be a separation of politics and administration because they are meant to serve different purposes. The government is supposed to serve the people by offering various administrative functions.

The success of the executive arm of government is determined by how they implement the policies developed by the legislature. The executive, even though they are elected through a political process, they should focus on implementing the policies that bring change to the challenges affecting the people. When there is a separation between administration and politics, it helps in reducing corruption (Goodnow, 2017). Many states have failed because of the challenge of separation between politics and administration. Such leaders corrupt the people through petty development so that they can be elected back to the office. Goodnow argued that the reason for the success of the United States is the clear separation of power between politics and administrations. Government institutions are empowered to put executive into tasks in implementing policies.

Goodnow also emphasized on entertaining professional standards while performing their responsibilities. United States agencies is a classic example of how states have been able to empower different departments to be independent while performing their responsibilities (Goodnow, 2017). Once the departments have been given resources, they carry out their functions without any challenges. Goodnow stated that when there is a conflict of interest between politics and administration, politicians tend to misuse their privileges for their benefits. The difference between politics and administration is the roles that they play towards serving the people. The differentiation of functions and roles by different arms of government makes the government perform effectively in serving the people.

Shafritz and Hyde argued that administrations need to establish an identity that the people can associate with, such as honesty and determination to serve them (Shafritz, & Hyde, 2016). American govern has been able to achieve this through its various departments. From independence, the American government has been able to have the separation of power between different arms of government which serve the people without any form of discrimination. The separation of power makes it difficult for politicians to influence the administrators.

On the classics of public administration, governments need to be responsive in implementing reforms in the context of political and social changes that society deserves (Shafritz, & Hyde, 2016). Different governments around the world have faced civil war where people feel that they don't get the services that they deserve from the government. The people in those countries have demanded justice from their elected leaders where they demanded equal rights and common justice from the government. Public administration entails serving the people by providing the services that they deserve from the government. According to Shafritz and Hyde, public administration should create trust between the government and the people by offering public service to the people the best way possible (Shafritz, & Hyde, 2016). Successful countries are the ones where citizens are treated with value by the state.

Politics-administration dichotomy was used in studying American politics and the political dilemmas that the administration of the United States faces. The modernization of governments where the public has the absolute freedom to express their views is regarded to be among the best forms of government (Shafritz, & Hyde, 2016). In countries where the people feel that they are not served well enough by the government, political leaders face challenges in controlling the people. There is an evolution of the human social organization and economic policy; therefore, administrators need to be aware of the changes that occur in society. People now want to be involved in the affairs of the community through participation; therefore, administrators should involve them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, politics and administration are two distinct aspects of governance, and there should be a clear line separating them in terms of how they serve the people. The arms of government should be allowed to serve the people without interference from their counterparts. Administrators should not be influenced by politicians while serving the people. Independence of administrators influences the success of the country in implementing policies.

Reference

Shafritz, J. M., & Hyde, A. C. (2016). Classics of public administration. Nelson Education.

Goodnow, F. J. (2017). Politics and administration: A study in government. Routledge.