Public Administration and the Classical Liberal Perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 530-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Dragos Aligica

This article argues that despite the widespread perception to the contrary, it is possible to articulate a classical liberal position on public administration that recognizes and confronts the problems of collective governance in the public domain, as opposed to either circumventing them or imposing institutional designs and policy standards not fully in accordance with the nature and structure of the collective phenomena in case. As such, the article revisits, clarifies, and elaborates a classical liberal inspired perspective on the problem of collective action and public governance, arguing for its distinctiveness while articulating its basic conceptual and theoretical elements.

Author(s):  
Paul Dragos Aligica ◽  
Peter J. Boettke ◽  
Vlad Tarko

The public administration principles articulated in the previous chapters are sufficiently distinct to validate the notion that there is indeed in nuce a classical-liberal theory of public governance to be derived from the foundational liberal philosophical and theoretical writings and from the public rhetoric and positions inspired by them. Further development of the theory and its translation into practice is, however, a more complicated task. Yet, a closer look at the developments in public governance during the past couple of decades offers a fresh and intriguing view of the issue. The more we advance in articulating, by using the intrinsic logic of the classical-liberal perspective, diagnoses and solutions to public governance problems, the more we can see that such diagnoses and solutions are far from alien to the contemporary field and practice of public administration. Those changes have led to a move from regulation based on command and control to flexible and diverse forms of regulation in which self-regulation is an important element. The concluding chapter of the book explores these developments.


Author(s):  
Paul Dragos Aligica ◽  
Peter J. Boettke ◽  
Vlad Tarko

Classical liberalism entails not only a view about the proper scope of government and its relationship with the market but also a distinct theory about how government should operate within its proper area. This book presents the basic governance theory and political economy principles underpinning this vision. Building upon the works of diverse authors such as Friedrich Hayek, James Buchanan, and Vincent and Elinor Ostrom, the book offers a profound challenge to how public governance is commonly understood, by shifting the focus along several dimensions. First, it challenges the technocratic-epistocratic perspective in which social goals are set and experts simply provide the means to attain them. Instead, the focus is on the diversity of opinions in any society regarding “what should be done,” and on the design of democratic and polycentric institutions capable of limiting social conflicts and satisfying the preferences of as many people as possible. Second, the book explains the knowledge and incentive problems associated with technocratic-epistocratic governance. This has deep implications for how public governance itself should be construed. The book’s three parts reconstruct the theoretical foundations of the position, then explore its nature and development at the interface between public choice and public administration, and finally illustrate via a set of concrete governance issues how it operates at the applied level. The book thus fills a large gap in the academic literature, as well as the public discourse, about the ways decision makers understand the nature and administration of the public sector.


2005 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony Bovaird

The emergence of governance as a key concept in the public domain is relatively recent, although the concerns which it embraces are age-old. This article traces the evolution of the concept and maps the contours of its current position in public administration. It suggests that ‘governance’ as a set of balancing mechanisms in a network society is still a contested concept, both in theory and in practice, but that there are already many attempts to delineate its dimensions more clearly and to assess how well it is being achieved in different contexts. Public governance principles are also being incorporated within legislation but there is a need for proportionality — such principles need to be weighed against cost-effectiveness considerations. It is still unclear whether we are moving to a future in which government remains the key player in public governance or whether we might move through ‘governance in the shadow of government’ to self-organizing policy and service delivery systems — ‘governance without government’.


Author(s):  
A. Lipentsev ◽  
O. Voytyk ◽  
N. Maziy

Problem setting. The system of public administration is a complex set of related elements and entities that interact with each other, so the manifestation of negative corruption minimizes the possibility of achieving positive results in the process of these communications. Special attention should be paid to the functioning of the customs system, which is an important part of the national economy of Ukraine. In this area, corruption abuses are extremely pronounced, given the peculiarities of the customs industry. This problem is acute and urgent, as its existence causes the progression of those negative phenomena that are currently present in the customs system of Ukraine and reduce the effectiveness of public administration in general.Recent research and publications analysis. The issue of corruption in the context of public administration is the subject of research by many scientists: V. Averyanov, O. Antonova, V. Bashtannyk, Y. Bytyak, I. Borodin, A. Vasyliev, I. Golosnichenko, E. Dodin, L. Koval, V. Kolpakov, A. Komzyuk, N. Lypovska, V. Olefir, O. Ostapenko, I. Pakhomov, O. Petrenko, S. Seryogin, I. Khozhylo, V. Shamray, H. Yarmaki etc. Given the wide range of researchers who study the specifics of corruption in the context of public administration, it is worth noting the significant gaps in the assessment of this issue from a sectoral perspective. In particular, it should be noted the great need to study corruption in customs and find ways to minimize this shameful phenomenon in modern conditions.Highlighting previously unsettled parts of the general problem. The need to analyze corruption processes in the customs authorities and substantiate offers for anti-corruption actions in the field of public administration led to the choice of the topic of the article.Paper main body. Corruption in the general sense can be defined as the illegal activity of persons called to perform the functions of the state, in the form of misuse of their powers in order to obtain benefits by increasing their material wealth, obtaining illegal services or benefits.Global trends indicate the presence of corruption in all countries, so this issue is a priority in solving all spheres of life, both developed and developing countries. In particular, public administration of European countries in the political, informational, institutional and legal context is aimed at combating corruption. To this end, there are such institutions common to EU countries as Greco, the Venice Commission, Olaf, Eurojust, Europol and others. At the interstate level, they coordinate and provide information and analytical support for anti-corruption measures, develop common legal standards in the form of community regulations.In the field of public administration, there is a sufficient legal resource on the basis of which it is possible to ensure anti-corruption policy in the state and, in particular, in the customs sphere. However, the customs system is characterized by a wide range of unresolved issues related to corruption abuses. Accordingly, there is a need to develop offers for overcoming and preventing corruption: development and implementation in the practice of customs authorities of methodological recommendations relating to their employees and aimed at resolving conflicts related to corruption; observance by customs officers of relevant ethical norms, which must harmonize with anti-corruption activities; effective application of responsibility to those guilty of corruption and comprehensive implementation of measures aimed at combating corruption; clear identification of those responsible for corruption in areas where there is a high risk of such abuses; regulation of procedures aimed at preventing corruption of customs officers in the performance of their official duties.Anti-corruption in customs authorities in the context of ensuring the effectiveness of public administration should include the implementation of the following measures: development of conceptual foundations of anti-corruption policy in the customs sphere; adopt a Code of Ethics for Customs Officers in accordance with the needs of anti-corruption policy; effective implementation of the principle of equality before the law in the context of reducing corruption; ensuring equal responsibility for corrupt actions not only for individuals but also for legal entities; ensure the absence of immunity from corrupt practices for officials, including senior executives; delimit the powers of bodies engaged in anti-corruption activities; to intensify the public to combat corruption; wide informing of the public about cases of corruption in customs bodies.Conclusions of the research and prospects for further studies. The problem of corruption in public authorities is a long-standing and painful issue in Ukraine. This problem is especially acute in the activities of customs authorities, as their activities are directly related to foreign economic activity, significant flows of goods and flows of financial resources across the customs border of the state. In turn, this is a direct threat to the country’s national security. Given the fact that Ukraine ranks relatively low in global rankings on the existence of corruption abuses, it is necessary to take decisive measures to reduce the manifestations of this phenomenon, in particular, in the customs authorities.


2022 ◽  
pp. 22-44
Author(s):  
Feras Ali Qawasmeh

Public policy is classified as a major field in public administration. Therefore, to understand the context of public policy as a field, it is essential to explore its root developments in public administration from epistemological and chronological perspectives. This chapter is a review study referring to main scholarly works including books, academic articles, and studies. The chapter first helps researchers and students in comprehending the evolution of public administration in its four main stages including classical public administration, new public administration, new public management, and new public governance. Second, the chapter presents a general overview of the evolution of the public policy field with particular attention paid to the concepts of Harold Lasswell who is seen as the father of public policy. The chapter then discusses different definitions of public policy. Various classifications of public policy are also investigated. The chapter ends with a critical discussion of the stages model (heuristics).


2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mykola P. Popov ◽  
Liudmyla L. Prykhodchenko ◽  
Olena V. Lesyk ◽  
Oksana V. Dulina ◽  
Olesia V. Holynska

The article considers some aspects of the implementation of the audit system of public administration, taking into account the transformation processes of national socio-economic systems, taking into account the domestic realities of society. At present, Ukraine is on the path of transition to European integration processes, including in the system of reorganization of public power. An effective mechanism for controlling and monitoring the implementation of management functions is the introduction of public administration audit. However, for Ukraine such processes are new and require adjustment of regulatory and legal support, organizational structures, financial support and managerial transformations in the public sector system in order to implement an effective public audit system. The article considers the theoretical aspects of public audit, which define it as a management process of high public importance. In addition, public administration audit is defined as a type of professional activity that requires taking into account not only the general principles of auditing, but also the specifics of public administration: publicity, high social significance, political and economic lobbying processes. Objects of public audit are considered, their characteristic is given. As a result of the analysis, the priority of conducting a public audit is determined in the system of planning, formation and distribution of budget funds at different levels. A model of public audit of budget processes has been developed and described, which provides not only control of expenditures, but also their rationalization by improving management mechanisms. Problematic aspects of the implementation of public audit in practice will be the subject of further research. The audit will contribute to the rationalization of the use of budget funds, the establishment of an effective set of management processes.


2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 52-59
Author(s):  
Niina Mäntylä ◽  
Laura Perttola ◽  
Kristian Siikavirta

Legal coherence and predictable decision-making are the cornerstones of Finnish administrative law. The aim of this research is to analyze the factors that make administrative decisions unpredictable in Finland today. Why is the challenge so significant for the authorities? The factor analysis revealed six main features affecting predictability in the legal regulation of Finnish public governance: the increasing use of soft law, the devolution of government, deregulation, the changing role of the individual, the blurring of the division between the public and the private sector and the influence of international and EU-law.


2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-30
Author(s):  
Michael O. Adams ◽  
Linda D. Smith

This effort will seek to discover the foundations of public management and how it relates to information technology, specifically understanding E-government and other technologies in the public domain. Public Management is the development or application of methodical and systematic techniques, often employing comparison quantification, and measurement, that are designed to make the operations of public organizations more efficient, effective and increasingly responsive. This is a considerably crisper, concise, and narrow definition compared to other definitions of public administration, and its sharper focus is attributable to the larger fields encompassing of values in addition to those of efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Giovanna Galizzi ◽  
Gaia Viviana Bassani ◽  
Cristiana Cattaneo

Over the past few decades, many governments throughout the world have promoted gender-responsive budgeting (GRB). With its focus on equality, accountability, transparency and participation in the policy-making process, GRB shares some relevant principles with public governance that call governments at national and subnational levels to rethink their roles in the whole economic system. This worldwide political and managerial interest does not find sufficient space in academic discussion, mainly in terms of public administration and management studies. Adopting an interpretative approach, the present study aims to investigate how an Italian municipality has involved stakeholders in the GRB process. The case study shows that, when GRB is fully developed, the stakeholders involved are both internal and external, and these multiple actors, in pursuing gender equality, cooperate to achieve a common, public aim. In this way, GRB gives effectiveness to the public decision-making process, contributing to greater incisiveness in the local government’s management and creation of a gender-sensitive governance process.


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