Pub2601 - Foundations Of Public Administration (PUB2601)
Institution
University Of South Africa (Unisa)
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1. Name and describe the six (6) elements which comprise public administration in terms of the
Public Administration model. (25)
public administration refers to the process whereby government delivers services to society and
all its related activities and institutions. The goods and services provided by the government are
aimed at improving the general welfare of society. Public administration also refers to all
government-related activities, institutions and statutes.
Such public administration results in the formulation of public policies, the enactment of the
constitution, the building of roads, the presence of police, clinics and schools to name a few.
Element of public administration
This model of Public Administration is an attempt to explain the relations between the different
elements in public administration. These elements are the manifestations of society as we see it.
The model therefore seeks to give a logical order and explanation to things and processes that
we observe every day and yet are unable to give them a name or to understand why they
happen.
Society
Society preceded the existence of public administration processes.
This derives from the social contract theories for understanding the origin of government and the
state as we know them today. It is the assumption of these theories that in the beginning there
were individuals who lived as small family units independent of each other. Over time it became
necessary to interact and share resources as larger groups, which led ultimately to the formation
of larger societies.
The need for harmonious coexistence thus led to the formation of a centralised authoritative
body. It is important to note that society is made up of individuals. In all references to society, we
therefore imply the individual. When we refer to government providing society with services we
are in fact referring to individuals. This marked the beginning of the political organisation of
society into a state.
Government
Government is the machinery of the state.
This is based on the assumption that the state and the government are not synonymous. The
state has a much broader scope which includes the government. The functions of government
are defined and determined by the state though the political element of government will make
the functions vary slightly. Government came into existence as a mechanism which society could
use to meet its needs. It responds to the needs of society and provides the following functions
and services.
, Government Functions
Government is a dynamic political element of the state through which the following functions are
performed to respond to societal needs:
protection
welfare and social services
education
wealth creation
environmental protection and preservation
In addition, other services are also provided by government in conjunction with the private
sector. These services are provided in a dynamic environment. The government functions and
services will be dealt with in the relevant modules. The government performs its functions within
the framework of the constitution.
Private Sector
The private sector is both part and product of organised society. This means that the nature of
activities which arose as a result of the development of political society led to the need to
distinguish between private and public goods and services. The provision of goods and services is
a shared function between the state and private business. The extent to which the government is
involved in economic activities depends on the political ideology of the government of the day.
For example, in the case study of UnEx it is said that the state has a hand in the running of the
university. However, the extent of the involvement depends on the interests of the particular
government.
The private sector is in business to generate profit. The government on the other hand can only
benefit through taxes paid by the people. It is therefore to the benefit of the government to have
more private businesses from which to get taxes. The private sector is of course composed of
citizens who are also part of the state. Society also benefits directly through the jobs created by
the private sector as well as other financial assistance as part of community initiatives of the
private sector.
The Constitution
The relations and interactions among the different individual and corporate members of the
state are regulated centrally.
The constitution is the utmost authority and framework for the existence of the state, its
members and its machinery. It defines the roles and power limits for all the different members of
the community encompassed by the state. The extent to which that happens is of course not
absolute and will depend on the nature of the established political system.
The Global Village
The state is part of a larger international environment.
This means that the state exists as part of a community of other states. In that context there are
international rules and regulations which are equivalent to the constitution at the national level.
There are a number of international institutions which South Africa has become part of since the
change from the apartheid government system. This means that racial segregation and other
violations of human rights which were being perpetrated by the apartheid government are not
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