Syllabus for Public Administration

Course Title Public Administration

Course Code
Semester 3

Credits 3
Hours 45
Course Development Dr. Asheesh Navneet

Rationale of the Course

Public Administration is a newly emerged discipline in comparison with the discipline of other
social sciences. It has gained immense importance in administrative studies of states. The
significance of the study is going to further increase as a greater number of states in the world
are in the process of adopting democratic and decentralized system. The course is an inherent
part of Political Science and will help in developing an understanding about the functioning
style of state and its governance. The course is going to help students to understand the
meaning, nature, scope and significance of Public Administration. The primary focus of this
course would be to demonstrate the working mechanisms of government and self-government
in its new political and economic conditions. We as a citizen face many social challenges and
complex issues on a daily basis. Studying this course is going to provide numerous avenues
towards transforming and implementing change into the society.
Today in a world when resources are getting scarce day by day, and there is an urgent
requirement for sustainable development, the study of public administration is going to be
helpful in finding a solution for economical, effective, and efficient utilizations of these
resources. The knowledge of public administration would be useful in finding a link between
the policy-making (government institutions) and policy implementation at the grass-root level.
It would help research analysts and students in deriving a clear picture of the gap between the
requirements of the people and the shaping up of the actual policy and thus in its further
improvement.
Objective of the Course
Following are the objective of the course:
1. To introduce students with the basic concepts, meaning and scope of public
administration
2. To have discussion on various classical theories and approaches to study public
administration.
3. To understand different paradigms of public administration like New Public
Management, Comparative Public Administration, E-Governance etc.
4. To understand the efficacy of New Public Administration in context of globalization
and liberalization.
5. To understand the policymaking processes and various challenges in their
implementation.

Unit 1
Introduction to Public Administration (6 Hours)
In this unit, students will be introduced with the definition, meaning and basic concepts of
the Public Administration. A discussion on the historical evolution of the Public
Administration and the need for its development as a separate discipline from political
science would be done.
Following are the objective of this unit
1. To discuss the definition, meanings and basic concepts used in studying Public
Administration.
2. To understand the nature and scope Public Administration in the modern state.
3. To compare and analyse the distinction between public and private administration.
4. To analyse the significance and evolution of Public Administration as a discipline.

Essential Readings
Shafritz, J. M. & Russel, E.W. 2017. Introducing Public Administration. Routledge.
Chapter 1 on Defining Public Administration.
Thapa, Ishwar. 2020. Public Administration: Meaning, Scope and its Nature. Published in
Public Administration Campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal.
Chakrabarty, B. & Chand, P. 2012. Public Administration in a Globalizing World: Theories
and Practices. Sage Publication. Chapter 1 on Public Administration: Evolution of a
Discipline.

Additional Readings
Deva, Satya. 2006. Western Conceptualization of Administrative Development: A Critique
and Alternative. Edited in the book Comparative Public Administration: The Essential
Readings edited by Eric. E Otenyo & Nancy S. Lind. Published by Elsevier.
White, Leonard D. 2017. Introduction to the Study of Public Administration. Edited in the
book Classics of Public Administration by Jay M. Shafritz & Albert C. Hyde. Published by
Cengage Learnin. Pp 68-75.
 Unit 2
Classical Theories of Public Administration (11 Hours)
In this unit, various classical theories of Public Administration will be discussed. These
theoretical approaches can help students to understand various issues and problems related
to public and private administration.
Objectives:
1. To discuss the utility of Max Weber’s concept of Ideal-type bureaucracy in Public
Administration
2. To discuss the thoughts of Urwick and Gullick on Administration
3. To discuss the administrative thought of Chester Barnard
4. To discuss the theory of Mary Parker Follett
5. To discuss the theories of human-related approach.
6. To discuss the systems approach.
7. To talk on ‘decision-making theory’.
8. To discuss on Ecological Approach.
9. To discuss ‘public choice theory’.

Essential Readings
Fry, B.R. & Raadschelders, J.C.N. 2014. Mastering Public Administration: From Max
Weber to Dwight Waldo. Sage Publications.
Shafritz, Jay M. & Hyde, Albert C. 2017. Classics of Public Administration. Clengage
Learning.
Frederickson, H.G, Smith, K.B., Larimer, C.W. & Licari, M.J. 2012. The Public
Administration Theory Primer. Westview Press.
Bryer, T.A. 2021. Handbook of Theories of Public Administration and Management.
Edward Elgar Publishing Limited.
Additional Readings
Weber, M. 2017. Max Weber’s Vision for Bureaucracy: A Casualty of World War 1.
Cochrane, Glynn, Palgrave Macmillan.
Peters, B.G. & Pierre, J. 2003. Handbook of Public Administration. Sage Publications.

Unit 3
Comparative and Development Theories of Public Administration (10 Hours)
In this unit, comparative theories of development and their significance for the study of Public
Administration would be analyzed. These comparative and development dimensions of Public
Administration would help students in understanding the complications and dynamics of
development theory in Public Administration.
Objectives:
1. To discuss about development which is a contradictory discipline of social science.
2. To discuss the conceptual issues in development administration
3. To discuss Riggs’s concept of Formalism
4. To elaborately discuss about development management.
5. To discuss about the nature of Public Administration in developing countries
6. To do the comparative study of Public Administration.
7. To discuss about the new dimensions of Management Theory

Essential Readings
Meena, S.L. 2007. Development: A Contradictory Discipline in Social Sciences. In
Administrative Theories: Approaches, Concepts and Thinkers in Public Administration.
Edited by Rakesh Hooja & Ramesh K. Arora. Rawat Publications. Pp. 129-143.
Arora, Ramesh K. 2007. Development Administration: Some Conceptual Issues. In
Administrative Theories: Approaches, Concepts and Thinkers in Public Administration.
Edited by Rakesh Hooja & Ramesh K. Arora. Rawat Publications. Pp. 144-153.
Bhargava, B.S. 2007. Riggs’s Concept of Formalism. In Administrative Theories:
Approaches, Concepts and Thinkers in Public Administration. Edited by Rakesh Hooja &
Ramesh K. Arora. Rawat Publications. Pp.154-162.
Blaise, Hans C. 2007. Development Management. In Administrative Theories:
Approaches, Concepts and Thinkers in Public Administration. Edited by Rakesh Hooja &
Ramesh K. Arora. Rawat Publications. Pp. 163-175.
Jain, R.B. 2007. Comparative Aspects of Public Administration. In Administrative
Theories: Approaches, Concepts and Thinkers in Public Administration. Edited by Rakesh
Hooja & Ramesh K. Arora. Rawat Publications. Pp. 184-207.

Additional Readings
Jacobs, B.L. 2007. Public Administration in Developing Countries: Some Observations.
In Administrative Theories: Approaches, Concepts and Thinkers in Public Administration.
Edited by Rakesh Hooja & Ramesh K. Arora. Rawat Publications. Pp. 176-183.
Trivedi, K.D. & Sharma, Ravindra. 2007. New Dimensions in Management Theory: The
Japanese Contribution. In Administrative Theories: Approaches, Concepts and Thinkers
in Public Administration. Edited by Rakesh Hooja & Ramesh K. Arora. Rawat
Publications. Pp. 208-218.
Unit 4
Public Administration in the era of Globalisation and Decentralization (9 Hours)
In this unit, significance of the concept decentralization in Public Administration and its
various types would be analysed. A discussion on the concept globalization and its impact of
Public Administration in a developing country like India would be done. Concerns related to
global justice, ethics and accountability in Public Administration would be discussed.

Objectives:
1. Discussion on the impact of decentralization on Public Administration
2. Analysis of democratic decentralization and local governance
3. Discussion on the concept globalization and its impact on Public
Administration
4. Discussion on ethics, global justice and accountability in Public
Administration

Essential Readings
Rondinelli, D.A. 2006. Government Decentralization and Economic Development: The
Evolution of Concepts and Practices. Edited in the book Comparative Public Administration:
The Essential Readings by Eric E. Otenyo & Nancy S. Lind. Elsevier Publication.
Chakrabarty, B. & Chand P. 2012. Public Administration in a Globalizing World: Theories and
Practices. Chapter 6 Decentralization and Local Governance. Sage Publications.
Chakrabarty, B. & Chand P. 2012. Public Administration in a Globalizing World: Theories and
Practices. Chapter 12. Globalization and Public Administration. Sage Publications.
Shafritz, J.M., Russel, E.W., Christopher, P.B., & Albert C.H. 2017. Introducing Public
Administration. Chapter 5 Honor, Ethics, and Accountability. Routledge.

Additional Readings
Conyers, D. 2006. Decentralization: The Latest Fashion in Development Administration. From
the book Comparative Public Administration: The Essential Readings. Edited by Eric E.
Otenyo & Nancy S. Lind. Elsevier Publication.
Caiden, G. The Administrative State in a Globalizing World: Some Trends and Challenges.
From the book Comparative Public Administration: The Essential Readings. Edited by Eric E.
Ontenyo & Nancy S. Lind. Elsevier Publications.
O’Leary, Rosemary. 2017. The Ethics of Dissent: Managing Guerilla Government. Taken from
the section Public Service Ethics from the book “Classics of Public Administration” edited by
Jay M. Shafritz & Albert C. Hyde. Published by Clengage Learning.
Unit 5
Contemporary Developments in Public Administration (9 Hours)
The unit will focus upon the recent developments that took place in the study of Public
Administration. It will discuss about the contemporary theories of New Public Administration,
New Public Management. The changing perspectives of public administration and theoretical
discussion about the governance and its practice will be done in this unit.
Objectives:
1. To talk about New Public Administration and New Public Management
2. To talk about the theory and practice of governance
3. To talk about various structures of Public Administration like public organisations,
public sector undertakings, E-governance etc.
4. To talk about Financial Administration Accountability, role of civil society, Social
Audit and people’s participation.
Essential Readings
Chakrabarty, B. & Chand, P. 2012. Public Administration in a Globalizing World: Theories
and Practices. Chapter 3 Contemporary Developments in public Administration. Sage
Publications.
Margetts, Helen. 2003. Electronic Government: A Revolution in Public Administration. Edited
in Section 8 Administration and Society in the book Handbook of Public Administration.
Edited by B. Guy Peters & Jon Pierre. Sage Publications.
Frederickson, H. George. 2017. Toward a New Public Administration. Taken from the section
The Discipline of Public Administration from the book Classics of Public Administration
edited by J.M. Shafritz & A.C. Hyde. Clengage Learning Publication.
Peters, B.G. & Pierre, J. 2003. Handbook of Public Administration. Entire chapters available
in Section 9. Pp 377-420. Sage Publications.

Additional Readings
Chakrabarty, B & Chand, P. 2012. Public Administration in a Globalizing World. Chapter 8
Citizens and Administration. Pp. 354-385. Sage Publications.
Chakrabarty, B & Chand, P. 2012. Public Administration in a Globalizing World. Chapter 10
Citizens and Administration. Pp. 414-447. Sage Publications.