,• Woodrow Wilson published an article entitled “The Study of Administration” in Political Science Q
in which he implied a strict separation between political and administrative spheres of governmen
later called “politics-administration dichotomy” and has had a lasting influence on both theory and
of public administration.
• It was a strong reaction to inefficient government caused by partisan political influences on the dai
of administration since the inauguration of Andrew Jackson as the president of the United States. F
the assassination of James Garfield in 1881, this period of so-called spoils system came to an end
passage of Civil Service Act (a.k.a., Pendleton Act) in 1883. This act marks the beginning of t
system in the United States by prohibiting personnel practices based on partisan considerati
introducing competitive civil service exams in the hope that only the qualified people with the righ
knowledge, skills, and abilities would be placed in public office. Their selection, promotion, discip
compensation would be based on knowledge and performance, not on political loyalties. Since
influences had been blamed for widespread corruption, waste, and incompetence in governm
progressive movement aimed to minimize the role of politics in daily, routine affairs of administratio
• It is not coincidence that Wilson’s article was published only 4 years after the passage of Pendleton
idea is simple. There should be a sharp separation between political and administrative dom
government. Politics is about policymaking, a set of activities that involve value choices. This d
responsible for deciding “what to do” or, as Wilson (1887) put it, “setting the task” for admin
Administrative domain, however, is for policy implementation, a set of activities that involve tra
political choices into concrete accomplishments with the aid of technical knowledge and skil
expertise.
, • Following World War II, however, the politics administration dichotomy has been criticized and attacked by oppone
both normative and empirical grounds. Normatively, the inherent limitations of the concept of dichotomy were cl
public administration is all about policy implementation in a value-free and neutral manner, then it was easy to us
apparatus for evil purposes, like it was done in Nazi Germany during WW II. Politics-administration dichotomy leav
room for public administrators to question the ethical foundations of public policies or political orders, and they c
act upon their assessment of what is right and what represents the public’s best interests.
• The political actors determine what values should be pursued and how they should be prioritized, while burea
determine the technical means of pursing those values and priorities. Under this view, public administration
completely neutral, apolitical activity, and the personal or political values of bureaucrats should not affect their work
• Knowing that public servants are human being with values, emotions, and ideologies, the politics-administ
dichotomy sits on a very shaky foundation, sounding somewhat naive, leading critics to say that it is nothing more
political metaphysics. Empirically, a nontrivial amount of research showed that political and administrative domai
linked and they are in constant interaction.
• Politicians often interfere with administration, mostly for the benefit of their constituencies, and administrators al
involved in policymaking due to their expertise. Studies at federal, state, and local levels of government in the U
States have revealed a complex web of interactions between political and administrative spheres. Vague and ambi
legislations often leave public administrators with significant latitude and discretion to make their choices when
begin implementing public policies.
• Bureaucratic expertise also gives public administrators an important edge over policymaking, as they are frequently
upon by their political superiors for their knowledge and skills. As policy issues evolved and grew even more compl
expert cadre of bureaucrats became very critical for society.
• Some bureaucracies, such as intelligence agencies, exist in large part in order to provide information to elected of
who are making policy decisions. These avenues give many bureaucracies a direct means of interacting with e
officials and thereby influencing elected officials’ policy making decisions.
in which he implied a strict separation between political and administrative spheres of governmen
later called “politics-administration dichotomy” and has had a lasting influence on both theory and
of public administration.
• It was a strong reaction to inefficient government caused by partisan political influences on the dai
of administration since the inauguration of Andrew Jackson as the president of the United States. F
the assassination of James Garfield in 1881, this period of so-called spoils system came to an end
passage of Civil Service Act (a.k.a., Pendleton Act) in 1883. This act marks the beginning of t
system in the United States by prohibiting personnel practices based on partisan considerati
introducing competitive civil service exams in the hope that only the qualified people with the righ
knowledge, skills, and abilities would be placed in public office. Their selection, promotion, discip
compensation would be based on knowledge and performance, not on political loyalties. Since
influences had been blamed for widespread corruption, waste, and incompetence in governm
progressive movement aimed to minimize the role of politics in daily, routine affairs of administratio
• It is not coincidence that Wilson’s article was published only 4 years after the passage of Pendleton
idea is simple. There should be a sharp separation between political and administrative dom
government. Politics is about policymaking, a set of activities that involve value choices. This d
responsible for deciding “what to do” or, as Wilson (1887) put it, “setting the task” for admin
Administrative domain, however, is for policy implementation, a set of activities that involve tra
political choices into concrete accomplishments with the aid of technical knowledge and skil
expertise.
, • Following World War II, however, the politics administration dichotomy has been criticized and attacked by oppone
both normative and empirical grounds. Normatively, the inherent limitations of the concept of dichotomy were cl
public administration is all about policy implementation in a value-free and neutral manner, then it was easy to us
apparatus for evil purposes, like it was done in Nazi Germany during WW II. Politics-administration dichotomy leav
room for public administrators to question the ethical foundations of public policies or political orders, and they c
act upon their assessment of what is right and what represents the public’s best interests.
• The political actors determine what values should be pursued and how they should be prioritized, while burea
determine the technical means of pursing those values and priorities. Under this view, public administration
completely neutral, apolitical activity, and the personal or political values of bureaucrats should not affect their work
• Knowing that public servants are human being with values, emotions, and ideologies, the politics-administ
dichotomy sits on a very shaky foundation, sounding somewhat naive, leading critics to say that it is nothing more
political metaphysics. Empirically, a nontrivial amount of research showed that political and administrative domai
linked and they are in constant interaction.
• Politicians often interfere with administration, mostly for the benefit of their constituencies, and administrators al
involved in policymaking due to their expertise. Studies at federal, state, and local levels of government in the U
States have revealed a complex web of interactions between political and administrative spheres. Vague and ambi
legislations often leave public administrators with significant latitude and discretion to make their choices when
begin implementing public policies.
• Bureaucratic expertise also gives public administrators an important edge over policymaking, as they are frequently
upon by their political superiors for their knowledge and skills. As policy issues evolved and grew even more compl
expert cadre of bureaucrats became very critical for society.
• Some bureaucracies, such as intelligence agencies, exist in large part in order to provide information to elected of
who are making policy decisions. These avenues give many bureaucracies a direct means of interacting with e
officials and thereby influencing elected officials’ policy making decisions.
