Meaning and Defination of Public administration

Meaning of Public administration

Public administration has been a very old discipline .It had its birth alongwith the birth of the state.In fact,it was born when the leader of each tribe began loooking after the needs of the members of his tribes.As activity, administration has been as old as the social life itself.There was a large content of administration in the ancient civilization of Egypt, china and India.The great Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata contain elements of administrative thought.Kautilya’s Arthashatra aristole’s politics and machiaville’s Prince have a direct concern with administration.

What is Administration :-

The Term administration is a combination of two words “Ad” and “Minister” Which means to serve.The dictionary meaning of the term administration reads ‘The management of affairs.As such in comman parlance by administration we mean management of affairs for serving the people .It refers to the collective work or efforts put in for the achievement of common ends.

Defination of Administration :-

According to Simon :-Administration involves the organisation and groups cooperating to accomplish common goals.

Administration is concerned with the systematic organisation of men and materials for achieving desired ends.It involves doing the work or getting the work done by others.

What is public administration ?

Administration can be public or private .It is private when it relates to private affairs like club,shop,a company ,a school,and like .It is public when it is relates to the activities of all the people of the state.Since the government of a state acts for all the people,the term public is taken to mean government and in this way public administration means government administration .The use of the term Public with the term Administration also specifies that it is different from private administration .

Some popular defination of Public Administration :-

*According to Percy McQueen Public Administration, there is administration related to the operation of government whether it is central or local.

*According to H.Simon Public administration is by public administration is meant, in common usuage, the activities of the executive branch of the national state and local governments.

*According to Walker Public administration is the work which the government does to effect the law.