Answer:
- Public Administration emerged as an independent academic discipline in 1887 with Woodrow Wilson's essay “The Study of Administration”. Nicholas Henry In his book "Public Administration and Public Affairs” has identified five stages in the evolution of public administration as a discipline.
Stage 1: 1887-1926- The Era of Politics - Administration Dichotomy.
- Woodrow Wilson published "The Study of Administration" (1887). Advocated the Politics–Administration Dichotomy. Regarded as the Father of Public Administration.
- LD white - “introduction to the study of public administration”- Supported the dichotomy.
Stage II: 1927-1937 - The Golden Era of the Principles of Administration:
- scholars believed that there are certain principles of administration which could be discovered and applied to increase the efficiency and economy of public Administration.
- Willoughby's "Principles of Public Administration( 1927)
- Fayol's "Industrial and General Management" (1916)
- Mooney and Reiley: "Principles of Organisation" (1939)
- Gulick and Urwick: "Papers on the Science of Administration" (1937) -Principles like Unity of command, span of control etc emerged.
Stage III: 1938-1947 - The Era of Challenge to the Mainstream of Public Administration
- C.I. Barnard's "The Functions of the Executive" (1938)-It not only implements policy decisions but also contributes to policy formulation, a key aspect of political domain.
- Herbert A. Simon : The Proverbs of Administration (1946) -He advocated the behavioural approach to public administration to make it a more scientiüc discipline.
- Robert Dahl : The Science of Public Administration: Three Problems (1947) - pub administration is value added, influenced by behaviour and ecology.
- Elton Mayo-Human Relations Theory - importance of informal organizations in determining organizational efficiency.
Stage IV 1948-1970 - Identity Crisis
- John Gaus -rejection of the politics-administration dichotomy and administrative principle,
public administration as part of political science. - Some others moved towards administrative science - publish “Journal of Administrative
Science” Quarterly in 1956.
Developments during this phase included:
- Comparative Public Administration
- Development Administration
- New Public Administration
- Public Choice Approach.
Stage V: 1970-onwards - Public Administration as Public Administration
- focus shifts to public policy analysis : public administration has become inter-disciplinary, gained in social relevance and expanded its scope.
Contemporary Phase (1980s–Present):
- Emergence of Good Governance, New Public Service, Digital Governance, collaborative governance, and citizen-centric administration.
- Thus, Public Administration has evolved from a branch of Political Science into a mature and autonomous discipline. Its continuous adaptation to changing governance challenges has strengthened its academic identity and practical significance, making it indispensable for effective and democratic governance.