Wilsons Vision of Public Administration

Introduction
Woodrow Wilson is regard as the founder or father of study of public administration. His title rests on his
Seminal essay entitled The Study of public administrationwhich was published in the Political Science
quarterly in 1887. Wilson wrote his essay, The Study of Public Administration in the era of
the Progressive movement which covered the last two decades of the nineteenth Century. In the United
States, this movement was developed in response to increasing Urbanization, immigration, the seeming
loss of traditional values, Corruption, etc. There was maladministration due to rampant political corruption
and the Prevalence of the spoils system introduced by President Andrew Jackson. Under this system
only the loyal political supporters of the Partys Victorium at the Polls were appointed to administrative
posts As a consequence less qualified and sometimes Unqualified people entered the Public service and
contributed to the increasing inefficiency of public administration.
Influenced by the progressive movement Woodrow Wilson was also convinced that there was a need to
reform the government and the reforms should be in the field of public administration so as to make it
more efficient. It was in this context of prevalent maladministration and the consequent administrative
reforms that Wilson emphasized in his essay, the development of the science of public administration as
the appropriate cure for corrupt and inefficient administrative system. This vision of Wilson also marked
the emergence of public administration as a separate and independent field of Study.
Wilsons View on Politics and Administration
Woodrow Wilson is usually regarded as the Originator Of the doctrine of politics- administration
dichotomy. In his essay Wilson divided government into two separate spheres of politics and
administration. In his opinion, politics is dealt with questions of policy formulation; administration is dealt
with carrying them out. He defined public administration as detailed and systematic execution of public
law.
Wilson characterized public administration as a field of business .He Said, the field of administration is a
field of business.. Removed from the hurry and strife of politics He Stated that administration lies
outside the proper sphere of politics. Administrative questions are not political questions. Although politics
sets the tasks for, it should not be suffered to manipulate its offices. He further observed that public
administration is a Part of political life only as the methods of counting house are a Part of the life of the
society; only as machinery is part of a manufactured product. To Wilson, politics is the special Province
of the statesman and administration that of the technical official. Wilson Wanted that administrators
should not involve themselves in the political process .Thus Wilson tried to establish the distinction
between politics and administration.
By expounding the politics Administration dichotomy theory, Wilson urged strongly for the creation of a
technically competent and politically neutral administrative system for a democracy. It should be separate
from the political system, although it is under democratic control. Wilson believed that if public
administration could be separated from the practical politics and the influences of the spoils system
prevailed at that time in the USA, it might become more business-like and develop on scientific lines in its
own right. Thus his goal was to call attention to the need for efficient administration and to keep it out of
Partisan Politics. Wilson saw the Study Of public administration as the latest fruit of that Study of science
of politics which was begun some two thousand two hundred Years ago. The foundations of public
administration are those deep and permanent principles of politics. Thus for Wilson, it is said, the Study
of public administration, derived from the Study of politics, was to be distinguished from it, but never
divorced from its maxims and truths. To Wilson, public administration was much more than technical
detail and it was to be conducted in a political context .Thus he treated politics and public administration
as two sides of a coin.
Table 1 Politics and (public administration) Dichotomy -Dividing Politics and Administration
Politics Administration
Deals with the expression of the will of the people
.
Deals with the Execution of the will of
the people.
Deals with Politicians Deals with Civil Servants
One becomes Politician by his popularity ,either
through positive or negative popularity
Positive Popularity , e.g., Sonia Gandhi
Negative Popularity e.g. Poolan Devi
One becomes Civil servants by his
intelligence
One becomes Politics through election
One becomes civil servant through
selection
Prior training is not given to politician Civil servants are professionals
Power is the Centre of study in politics i.e , process
of capturing and retaining power
Running administration successfully is
the central focus here