Administrative Management Tutorial

Author: Chief Editor: Chen Zhaode
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-02-06
Features: Excerpt: Chapter Introduction to Public Administration Public administration is the study of state administration, a science that examines the activities and laws of state administrative management. As an independent discipline, its central task is to investigate how to manage state and public affairs effectively, improve administrative efficiency, and promote the development of productivity and social progress. In China's new historical period of reform and opening-up and modernization construction, learning and studying public administration, clarifying the research objects, main content, and theoretical system of this discipline, are of great significance for strengthening public administration, advancing the reform of the administrative system, achieving the scientificization, legalization, and modernization of public administration, and promoting the cause of socialist modernization construction and realizing cross-century goals.
Section Research Objects and Content of Public Administration
I. Meaning of Public Administration
Public administration refers to the effective management of state affairs and public affairs by state administrative organs in accordance with law. The subject of public administration is the state administrative organs, the object is the state affairs and public affairs managed according to law, and the core is the effective allocation of public power and resources, striving for high performance. To correctly understand the meaning of "public administration," it is necessary to briefly describe the origin and basic meaning of the term "administration."
The term "administration" has appeared in Chinese historical texts for a long time, meaning to implement policies and handle official affairs. In the Zuo Zhuan, written over 2,000 years ago, there are records of "carrying out administrative affairs" and "executing administrative orders." The Records of the Grand Historian·Zhao Ji mentions "Zhao Gong and Zhou Gong, the two chief ministers, administered the state, called 'joint rule.'" This refers to the event of the "rebellion of the people" and "joint rule" during the Western Zhou Dynasty. King Li of Zhou, the ninth generation ruler of the Western Zhou, was tyrannical and incompetent, trusting and promoting Rong Yi Gong, who flattered and took bribes. This led to dissatisfaction among the people (all social members except slaves), and the king used harsh punishments to suppress them, forcing the people to take up weapons and rebel, driving out the king. After the king was driven out, it was known as "joint rule," lasting 14 years (841–828 BC).
Internationally, the concept of "administration" also appeared long ago. Over 2,000 years ago, the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle used the term "administration." In modern English, "administration" comes from Latin Adminiatrare, meaning the management of state affairs. However, political scientists and administrators interpret "administration" differently based on different historical periods, political histories, and practices in various countries and regions, from different angles or levels, leading to various explanations, mainly the following three:
(1) Narrow Definition of Administration—From the perspective of "separation of powers." This view holds that administration refers to the management activities carried out by the administrative system outside the state legislative and judicial systems. This perspective is represented by the American administrator F. W. Willoughby, who proposed that administration refers only to the affairs of the administrative department. Taiwanese scholars call this view the "legal execution theory." In countries with separation of powers, legislation makes laws, administration executes laws, and the judiciary upholds laws.① The advantage of this interpretation is that it clearly expresses the qualitative definition of the "administration" concept, helping people grasp the characteristics of public administration and distinguish it from other types of management activities. The disadvantage is that it cannot reflect the interpenetration between the "three powers" and cannot fully reflect the current state and development trends of public administration in modern countries. In fact, in the political life of modern states, administrative organs also have partial legislative powers; legislative and judicial organs also have administrative affairs in personnel, finance, and other aspects.
(2) Broad Definition of Public Administration—From the perspective of the separation of politics and administration. This view holds that administration is an executive activity that achieves national goals while being separated from politics. This perspective is represented by the American administrator Frank Goodnow, who believed that politics and administration are separate, "politics is the expression of the will of the state, and administration is the execution of the will of the state."
Postscript
Public administration is the science that examines the activities and laws of state administrative management. Learning and studying public administration aims to improve the quality of state administrative personnel, enhance administrative efficiency, and achieve the scientificization, legalization, and modernization of public administration. Since 1982, public administration has been reconstructed and developed in China, with over 100 introductory works published to date. These have played a positive role in popularizing public administration knowledge and advancing China's administrative system reform and administrative work. To meet the requirements of the current situation and tasks and the needs of civil servant training, we have specially compiled this Textbook of Public Administration.
During the compilation process, we guided ourselves by Marxist theories of the state, drew on the strengths of numerous works on public administration both at home and abroad, closely combined with the actual conditions of China's reform and modernization, and systematically elaborated the basic principles of public administration as well as the subject, content, process, laws, and methods of public administration. We strived to ensure a complete system, accurate viewpoints, clear levels, rigorous logic, fluent language, and in-depth yet accessible content, making the book scientific, realistic, and readable. This book can serve as a teaching material for civil servant training, a textbook for relevant majors in universities and colleges, and a self-study guide for cadres.
This book was proposed by Chen Zhaode, Vice President of the Jiangsu Provincial Party School, for compilation, who also proposed the overall concept and determined the writing team. Professor Li Shanyue drafted the outline for compilation, which was discussed, revised, and then divided among the authors. The chapters were written by: Chen Zhaode (, Chapter 5), Li Shanyue (Chapters 6, 8, 12, 13), Sun Xueyu (Chapters 2, 3, 9, 11), and Jie Yingmin (Chapters 4, 7, 10, 14). The entire book was revised and finalized by Chen Zhaode. During the compilation, we referred to relevant monographs and teaching materials both at home and abroad, absorbed the latest research findings in the field of public administration, and were greatly supported by Wang Jie of the Central Party School Press. We extend our gratitude to all of them! Due to the haste and limited ability, there will undoubtedly be errors and omissions, and we sincerely welcome criticism and correction from relevant experts and readers. July 1998