The Administrative State: A Study of the Political Theory of American Public Administration

by Dwight Waldo

This classic text, originally published in 1948, is a study of the public administration movement from the viewpoint of political theory and the history of ideas. It seeks to review and analyze the theoretical element in administrative writings and to present the development of the public administration movement as a chapter in the history of American political thought.The objectives of The Administrative State are to assist students of administration to view their subject in historical perspective and to appraise the theoretical content of their literature. It is also hoped that this book may assist students of American culture by illuminating an important development of the first half of the twentieth century. It thus should serve political scientists whose interests lie in the field of public administration or in the study of bureaucracy as a political issue; the public administrator interested in the philosophic background of his service; and the historian who seeks an understanding of major governmental developments.This study, now with a new introduction by public policy and administration scholar Hugh Miller, is based upon the various books, articles, pamphlets, reports, and records that make up the literature of public administration, and documents the political response to the modern world that Graham Wallas named the Great Society. It will be of lasting interest to students of political science, government, and American history.

Genres: Philosophy

Paperback

First published January 1, 1948

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love what he wrote, hate how he wrote it

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is effectively an anthology of the writings on public administration in the USA during the first half of the 20th century. Waldo’s is thus an impartially extensive reading list but he did not peruse governmental publications on public administration, which palpably impoverished his raw materials for the decontamination of basic assumptions.

Waldo, in this tome has wrestled with central concerns of the discipline and practice of public administration.

The Administrative State carries the sub-title ‘A Study of the Political Theory of American Public Administration’. The sub-title is a more apt description of Waldo's work, and if we add as revealed in its literature of the past seventy five years, it would be completely accurate.

The Administrative State offers the symbiosis between politics and public administration. In this work, Waldo emerges as ‘an angry young scholar’, seeking to destroy certain dogmas in public administration.

He rules out its premature claims to being a science, oriented to neutrality and narrowly defined efficiency. He shows the theory of politics-administration dichotomy to be false and seeks its abandonment. He stresses the need to reconcile public administration with democratic values.

In short, Waldo rebels against the prevalent orthodoxy in public administration.

Waldo shot into prominence with the publication of this tome, one of the most important books on public administration in the USA. American public administration never had an historian and was looking for one: in Waldo it acquired, in the words of John Millett, "a philosopher and a philosopher who begins by being historical"

[noblethumos · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Administrative State" is a non-fiction book written by American political scientist Dwight Waldo, first published in 1948. The book is an analysis of the role of the administrative state in modern democratic societies.

Waldo argues that the administrative state - that is, the complex network of government agencies, bureaucracies, and regulatory bodies responsible for implementing public policy - has become a dominant force in modern society. He contends that the administrative state poses a challenge to traditional democratic values and institutions, and requires new forms of oversight and accountability in order to ensure that it operates in the public interest.

Waldo's writing style is characterized by its clarity and precision, and his arguments are grounded in extensive research and analysis. He offers a critique of traditional democratic theory, arguing that it fails to account for the role of the administrative state in contemporary politics, and offers a vision for a more democratic and participatory form of governance.

Overall, "The Administrative State" is considered a classic work of political theory and public administration, and has had a significant impact on subsequent debates about the role of bureaucracy in modern democratic societies. It remains a valuable resource for anyone interested in the workings of government and the challenges of democratic governance in the modern world.

GPT

[Nurlan Mustafayev · Rating 3 out of 5]

The classic book discusses many ideas in public administration – politics and administration dischotonomy, seperation of government and business, efficiency, etc. which are consdered as given today in modern governments. However, the key idea of the book is that administration/bureaucracy should serve democracy. One can hardly find such an aspirational approach to PA in modern PA books which are primarily focused on efficiency and effectiveness.

[Robin Bittick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a classic that should be read by students of government and public administration.