Public_Administration

Public administration can be defined as a process that ensures efficient, economical and coordinated goods and services delivery by the government, to its citizens. Public administration in America has been a central part of the affairs of the state from within its territory for more than almost two centuries, and can be generally described as policy analysis and implementation. In essence, it is the area which encompasses critical argumentations for the valuations and objectives of government and governance, budgets, public matters and bureaucracy. As an institution for the public and as an extension of the government, public administration is even called the fourth arm of government. PA influences the 3 branches of the government: legislative, executive and judicial. Public administration is carried out by public servants who work in public departments and agencies, at all levels of government, and perform a wide range of tasks necessary to keep government programs up and running. The development of public administration in America has been quite a journey for the Americans themselves over the stretch of time that dates back to the early formative days of its government. When Andrew Jackson became president of America, the white class has gained control over the government and has since then occupied the crucial agencies in the American government. This historical revolution reshaped the very image of the government in the sense that it has ended the administration of elites. The entry of the middle class to heightened roles in the American government gave the middle group of citizens both power and productivity. Then in 1861–1865, America was in a Civil War. Widespread public demand for civil service reform was stirred after the Civil War by mounting incompetence, graft, corruption, and theft in federal departments and agencies. After Pres. James A. Garfield was assassinated in 1881 by a disappointed office seeker, civil service reform became a leading issue in the midterm elections of 1882. In January 1883, Congress passed a comprehensive civil service bill called Pendleton Civil Service Act, because Traditionally, federal government jobs had been gained by those who contributed to political campaigns, a process known as the “spoils system” in reference to the idea that “to the victor belong the spoils.” Therefore, The Pendleton Act established the United States Civil Service Commission, which placed most federal government employees on the merit system rather than patronage and marked the end of the so-called spoils system. The act provided for some government jobs to be filled on the basis of competitive exams. The Pendleton Act essentially created “classified” positions that would be filled from a list of eligible applicants based on the results of their examinations. In 1887, Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act which created the Interstate Commerce Commission, the first true federal regulatory agency. It was designed to address the issues of railroad abuse and discrimination and required the following: • Shipping rates had to be "reasonable and just" • Rates had to be published • Secret rebates were outlawed • Price discrimination against small markets was made illegal Then, in 1914-1919 we had War World 1. Even though America was not completely involved in the war, its effects were also felt across the Ocean. Due to the war industry in the USA grew, the women’s movement progressed, and the government adopted new diplomatic policies. As a result of the USA joining the war in 1916, industry production in America boomed. Manufacturers had to keep production up to the pace needed to support the war. Also, more employment opportunities opened for women and African-Americans. In the absence of most of the able-bodied men in America, women became the main population of the factories, and African-Americans migrated to the cities to find jobs. During this time as industry boomed, so did the economy. America experienced the high speed industrialization, the development of transportation, infrastructure etc. More previously unemployed people held jobs, and the finances of the public, which had been poor since the recession of 1897, improved. Therefore, people started to desire services what increased the demand for the expansion of Public Administration. However, as the war ended, and soldiers started to return home, the industry production began to slow, and there was less need for workers in factories. Many women stopped working, but even so there were not enough jobs for the men returning home from Europe. This rising unemployment after a time of industry and economic prosperity, planted the seeds of the coming Great Depression.