Politics Administration Dichotomy
Administration and Politics Dichotomy
Advantages and Disadvantages
Abstract
By discussing some of the advantages and disadvantages of administration and politics dichotomy, an opinion of whether it is useful or impossible will be made. Wilson’s politics administration dichotomy refers to the idea that administrative decisions need to be made without political influence. One argument to this is that politics has transformed, let’s say, the role of a city manager from a neutral expert to a problem solver and dichotomy should be replaced with an expanded base of professional values for them.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Politics and Administration Dichotomy An advantage of having politics and administration dichotomy is that administration would not be driven by politics. Although politics give work to administration, it should not be able to make it do what it wants. Politics is a process by which disagreements and conflicts are worked out, ending with laws and policies through legislation. The purpose of politics is to provide political guidance to public administration. Political guidance is formulating and clarifying the public’s preferences and then communicating them to the public administrators. The job of a public administrator is to provide neutral competence to the policy process. The politicians would not get involved in administration and the public administrators would have no involvement in shaping policies. Public administrators would have the role of being neutral experts who carry out the policies of the council. In order to be neutral the administrator should minimize their identification with political positions, avoid undermining the political power of elected officials, and not get involved in the battle of politics to ensure rational administrative decisions rather than bargaining based decisions. If each public administrators and elected officials perform their tasks as assigned, the democratic accountability and planning ability of
Advantages and Disadvantages
Abstract
By discussing some of the advantages and disadvantages of administration and politics dichotomy, an opinion of whether it is useful or impossible will be made. Wilson’s politics administration dichotomy refers to the idea that administrative decisions need to be made without political influence. One argument to this is that politics has transformed, let’s say, the role of a city manager from a neutral expert to a problem solver and dichotomy should be replaced with an expanded base of professional values for them.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Politics and Administration Dichotomy An advantage of having politics and administration dichotomy is that administration would not be driven by politics. Although politics give work to administration, it should not be able to make it do what it wants. Politics is a process by which disagreements and conflicts are worked out, ending with laws and policies through legislation. The purpose of politics is to provide political guidance to public administration. Political guidance is formulating and clarifying the public’s preferences and then communicating them to the public administrators. The job of a public administrator is to provide neutral competence to the policy process. The politicians would not get involved in administration and the public administrators would have no involvement in shaping policies. Public administrators would have the role of being neutral experts who carry out the policies of the council. In order to be neutral the administrator should minimize their identification with political positions, avoid undermining the political power of elected officials, and not get involved in the battle of politics to ensure rational administrative decisions rather than bargaining based decisions. If each public administrators and elected officials perform their tasks as assigned, the democratic accountability and planning ability of
References: Rosenbloom, D. (2008). The politics – administration dichotomy in. Retrieved from http://sites.duke.edu/niou/files/2011/05/Rosenbloom-The-Politics-Administration-Dichotomy-in-U.S.-Historical-Context.pdf