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Modern theories of public administration. Basic theories of public administration Theory of public administration definition

The concept of public administration theories

Definition 1

Theories of public administration are doctrines formed over time, proposed and supported by various scholars, each of whom presents his own vision of the essence of public administration.

Remark 1

There are a sufficient number of approaches to understanding what public administration is. Such approaches are commonly referred to as public administration theories. Each theory is individual, has its own characteristics.

Characteristics of theories of public administration

  1. The theory of rational bureaucracy, of which Weber is the founder, is that each institution has its own competence, employees should be appointed, not selected, and also receive a salary worthy of their rank. At the same time, employees should not own the institution in which they work, they are required to follow discipline and be guided in their activities with higher authorities. This theory divides the functions of public administration into political and democratic.
  2. In addition, she identifies three virtues of politicians, which include passion, eye and a sense of responsibility.
  3. The theory of administrative efficiency belongs to Wilson, who was developing a model of the efficiency of bureaucracy in a market economy. He suggested separating administrative and political functions, while noting that the task of the administration is to put into practice the decisions made by the leader who won the election. As for politics, Wilson saw its main task in the formation of an effective structure for the control of administrative activities.
  4. Theory of administration. The developer of the theory was Fayol, who identified fourteen principles of public administration, consisting of - separation of powers, discipline, authority, unity of command, subordination of interests, unity of action, remuneration, scalar chain, centralization, order, staff stability, justice, corporate spirit and initiative.
  5. The theory of establishing interpersonal relationships. The founder of the theory, Easton, saw the main goal of management in increasing the efficiency of the potential of employees, establishing relationships in teams. He defined the principles that belong to such a category as "behavioral methodology" and are built on patterns, methods, verification, quantitative methods, systematicity, value, integration and science.
  6. Theory X. The theory was proposed by MacGregor, who believed that the main essence of public administration is the initial laziness of workers who seek, at any opportunity, to avoid doing work. That is why he considered the implementation of constant control and surveillance as the main goal. He proposed to form a hierarchical structure, the manageability of which would be reduced, since he saw the main problem in the absence of an attractive reward system for employees for a job well done.
  7. Theory Y. This theory is based on the understanding that work must be accompanied by favorable conditions, since it is in such an environment that labor productivity can increase. This theory seeks to eliminate all negative consequences that may in any way interfere with the observance of order.
  8. The theory of motivational hygiene. Herzberg was an adherent of the theory, who believed that work that brings pleasure has a positive effect on psychological health.

The theory of public administration covers the principles of the state's activities in organizing and managing socio-economic and social processes, the mechanisms for making and implementing decisions on the most important issues that arise before society, both at the national, and at the regional and local levels. One of the main tasks of the theory of public administration is to scientific justification optimal organization of public administration to achieve common goals for the whole society.

In the 19th century the study of public administration problems was carried out within the framework of the emerging science of administrative law. At the same time, the science of public administration was being formed in a number of developed countries (Germany, Italy, the USA). The problems of the organizational structure of the administration have moved to the science of public administration. The science of administrative law is limited to the study of issues of legal regulation in the field of public administration.

The beginning of the process of formation of theories of public administration dates back to the last decades of the 19th - early 20th centuries. and is closely connected with the beginning of the differentiation of the social and human sciences. The main merit in the development of the fundamental conceptual guidelines and principles of the theory of public administration as an independent field of research belongs to the famous German scientist M. Weber. He became the initiator and main developer of the most important attitudes and concepts of the state as the main subject of politics and power, bureaucracy, and the state apparatus. One of the central places in modern theories of public administration is the theory of bureaucracy. M. Weber noted that bureaucracy is a historical phenomenon that arose at a certain stage of historical development, which coincides with the emergence of a modern nation-state capable of supporting its own employees at its own expense.

A significant contribution to the development of forms of government, including the most important aspects of public administration within the framework of the theory of constitutional law, was made by French researchers. L. Dugi, A. Michel, M. Oriou laid the foundations for an institutional approach to the problems of public administration. In these works, the system of public administration did not occupy an independent place, but was studied to the extent that it helped to clarify the principles and forms of organizing the functioning of state-political institutions in general.

Professor W. Wilson (1856-1924), who later became the President of the United States, is considered the founder of the American science of public administration. He wrote: "The science of government will look for ways to improve the activities of government, make its work less laborious, put in order the organization of government." He formulated theory of administrative efficiency, the essence of which is the proposal to use in the system of public administration the most effective methods of organization and management, borrowed from business and corporate management systems. Wilson's merit should also be considered the desire to achieve a synthesis of the bureaucracy with the principles and institutions of democracy.

W. Wilson came to the following conclusions: 1) the presence of a single control center in any management system is a necessary prerequisite for its effectiveness and responsibility; 2) structural similarities are characteristic of all modern governments; 3) management must be separated from politics; 4) employees must be professionals; 5) organizational hierarchy is a condition for financial and administrative efficiency; 6) a necessary condition for the modernization of human civilization and the achievement of prosperity is the presence of a good administration. Following W. Wilson, F. J. Goodnow tried to make a clear distinction between politicians and administrators. He was also a supporter of scientific management and management independent of politics and ideology.

Second phase in the development of the theory of public administration covers 1910-1950. The most fundamental works appeared in the 1930s. First of all, these are the works of J. Mooney and A. Reilly, L. Galik and L. Urvik, which are considered classics. They were mainly due to the rapid growth of public institutions in the United States during the New Deal of F. Roosevelt. They were followed by the works of W. Bennis and P. Slater, G. Seidman.

An important role in improving the state regulation of the economy was played by the ideas of the English economist J. M. Keynes, outlined by him in the book "The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money" (1936). He proposed a program of anti-crisis policy and a policy of full employment of the able-bodied population. Developing the ideas of Keynes, his followers in the 1940s - 60s created the concept of an economic system regulated by both the market and the state. The key role was played by the state, which was called upon to implement a set of measures to regulate the economy in order to overcome the negative consequences of the market. The Keynesians developed specific forms and methods of state economic policy, among which the theories of counter-cyclical regulation and economic growth are of decisive importance.

After the Second World War, a sociological school was formed in France, whose representatives developed and substantiated the need to use the theories and practices of dirigisme, designed to ensure the post-war restoration of the country's economy, its modernization. In search of ways and means of implementing this policy, representatives of the sociological school announced the use of the principle of selectivity of state policy to restore and develop, first of all, “privileged points of application of force” (heavy industry, chemistry, etc.), considered as motors, driving forces of the economic and social progress. They saw the main task in achieving a structural restructuring of the French economy, ensuring the competitiveness of French goods on the world market. However, over time it became obvious that the principles of dirigisme did not meet the interests of the French big business, which had strengthened its position, and reduced its competitiveness in world markets. The large-scale efforts to develop the theory and practice of management in the leading business sectors that unfolded during this period in the United States were also reflected in research in the field of public administration. There are two research and educational directions in the theory of administrative management, which have become known under the names "classical school" and "school of human relations".

Among founders of the classical or administrative school(1920-1950) let's name A. Fayol, L. Urvik, D.D. Mooney and A.K. Reilly. They were united by the conviction that the public administration system should be oriented towards achieving the set goals with maximum efficiency at minimum cost. They proposed specialization, unity of command, delegation of responsibility, centralization, corporate spirit, etc. as the main means of such optimization of the system's activity. They were characterized by the recognition of a close connection between the theory of public administration and the scientific management of private enterprises. A particularly great contribution was made by the French researcher A. Fayol, who formulated the "theory of administration". He singled out six main groups of management functions: technical, commercial, financial, insurance, accounting and administrative. The 14 principles of management he formulated formed an integral part of the "scientific management" school. Fayol was the first to raise the issue of organizing management training in France and created the Center for Administrative Studies.

The biggest authorities in the development of " schools of human relations» (1920-1950), behavioral sciences(1950s - present) - M. Parker and F. and E. Reilly, A. Maslow, M. Follet, E. Mayo, W. Murphy. They were united by the recognition that an important factor in optimizing the public administration system, increasing the productivity of workers and their satisfaction with their work is the improvement psychological climate in the team and strengthening motivation to maximize labor efforts. The human factor was considered as one of the main elements of the effectiveness of the organization.

Start third stage The development of the theory of public administration dates back to the 1950s. It is characterized by approval in the social and human sciences, including in the theory of public administration, behavioral, systemic and structural-functional analysis. During this period, the leading positions were taken by the American, English, French and German national schools. At the same time, almost all European national schools were characterized by a humanitarian bias in the interpretation of the essence and nature of public administration. The greatest contribution was made by American sociologists and political scientists T. Parsons, P. Lazersfeld, V. Thomson, D. Easton, G. Almond and others. facilitating or hindering the integration and stability of the existing public administration system.

The leading directions of the modern theory of public administration are based on two methodological approaches - social engineering and humanitarian. Numerous modifications within the framework of the first approach are united by a common orientation towards the search for optimal models of public administration and the rationalistic resolution of problems that arise before society through the improvement and modernization of existing mechanisms for their resolution.

One of the leading representatives of the social engineering approach is the American researcher J. Cayden. It is characterized by an approach that organically combines the consideration of both purely managerial factors and attitudes, as well as cultural and historical factors and attitudes. In his opinion, the quality of management is measured by both quantitative and qualitative characteristics, which are determined by the requirements of the administrative system, its resources, the degree of client satisfaction with the results achieved and the number of costs and dysfunctions generated by its activities.

In recent decades, in contrast to the social engineering approach, there has been a tendency for many researchers to switch to anti-bureaucratic, anti-technocratic positions. Proponents of the humanitarian approach believe that in today's rapidly changing world, the bureaucratization of power structures, which greatly increases the inflexibility and inertness of the mechanisms for making and implementing political decisions, results in a decrease in the effectiveness and efficiency of these structures. Giving decisive importance to the human factor, authors, especially European ones, develop a wide range of problems and aspects of public administration reform. The English researchers J. Garrett and R. Sheldon, in order to improve the British state apparatus, proposed, along with decentralization, to expand in every possible way the transparency and openness of political decision-making, to establish by law the principles of informing the public about the actions of government bodies.

A peculiar form of the concept of human relations is practiced in Japan. The Japanese approach to the management system is based on the principle of active partnership technical specialists, government, business and trade union circles in developing strategies and tactics to ensure economic growth.

A significant place is occupied by studies of management effectiveness, conducted on the basis of the methodology of scientific management, as well as an analysis of the organizational structures of management of state bodies within the framework of the science of administration. In American works, a significant place is given to the study of specific situations in management (the "case study" method), in which much attention is paid to sociological and psychological motivation.

In recent decades, the definition of "new managerialism" has been increasingly heard, meaning that the ideas of management, which arose for the most part in the private sector, pushed into the background the concepts of traditional management. social management. The ideas of “post-bureaucratic organization” gained popularity, i.e. rejection of the traditional hierarchical management structure in favor of horizontal partnerships, cooperation, market exchange in the field of management, the transition from the "logic of institution" to the "logic of service", to the development of "new public management".

The crisis of the regulatory function of the state in the 70-80s. of the last century forced theorists and practitioners to look for new ways to improve manageability in the field of public affairs. There are three main theoretical models: the theory of new public administration (public management), the theory of political networks and the "theory of leadership". In the work of D. Osborne and T. Gabler “Rethinking management. How the spirit of entrepreneurship transforms the public sector” reveals the ten principles on which public management is based. These are: 1) in more to manage subordinates than to perform their functions;

2) give consumers more choices than serve them;

3) provide services on the basis of competition;

4) manage the setting of tasks rather than the definition of rules;

5) invest in results, not intentions;

6) fully focus on the consumer;

7) encourage the entrepreneurial spirit of making money, rather than bureaucratic spending;

9) carry out structural decentralization and establish cooperation between decentralized structures;

10) drive change through market-driven efforts.

The authors use the term "entrepreneurial management" to describe this management model. The most popular term is the concept of "leadership", through which they try to express the peculiarity of public management.

A new theoretical model for the study of public administration has become the theory of political networks, which tries to take into account the communicative processes of the post-industrial society and the democratic practice of modern states. Theory restores the links between management and politics. A wide range of political issues is considered. The concept of political networks, in contrast to the idea of ​​the dominant role of the state in policymaking, argues that the state and its institutions are, although important, but only one of the actors in the production of political decisions, state structures are seen as "articulated" with other policy agents, forced to join with them. in exchange for their resources. As opposed to the idea of ​​public administration as a hierarchically organized system, the network approach offers a new type of governance - "leadership". The information revolution in management involves the transition from centralized management to a modular organization, which is based on small structures connected in temporary configurations. The main lever of network management is the division of the decision-making process, the transition to a system of flexible specialization that can quickly respond to new demands from society. State organizations from vertical structures are turning into horizontal network sets of teams, each of which is actually a complete organization with its own goals, values, motives and leaders. This approach has been called neo-corporatism in public administration. The system of public administration itself is built on the principle of an adaptable corporation, which implies a functional or professional principle of representation in government and parliament.

Thus, in the XXI century. started fourth stage in the development of the theory of public administration, which is associated with the development of the information revolution. The information state theory states that information becomes the main management resource, and high tech determine the leading directions of state development.

In our country, the theory of public administration has been developing for a long time without independent disciplinary formalization, mainly as a doctrine of the state and law. In the second half of the XIX - early XX century. developed the so-called Public School, direction, which considers the state and its activities the main driving force of historical progress. In the works of prominent lawyers and historians S.M. Solovyov, K.D. Kavelina, B.N. Chicherina, A.D. Gradovsky, V.I. Sergievich, V.O. Klyuchevsky and P.N. Milyukov, the relationship between society and the state in Russian history at its individual stages was put forward as the main problem.

Zemstvo reform in Russia in the 19th century. initiated the development of issues of public administration, which are devoted to the work of I.E. Andrievsky, A.V. Lokhvitsky, A.I. Vasilchikov, A.S. Alekseeva, V.M. Gribovsky and others.

In the pre-revolutionary years, the works of A.A. Bogdanov anticipated some ideas of cybernetics and general theory systems. In the work "General organizational science (tectology)" he proved the possibility of a high level of generalization of various structural relationships, which made it possible to use quantitative methods in solving organizational problems. These ideas were not understood and accepted by the scientific community at the time.

During the period of socialist construction, the country's leadership set the task of widely studying and introducing the ideas of scientific management into the activities of the state apparatus. A number of research institutes and laboratories were created to study the scientific organization of labor and management. Scientific administration was seen as part of the scientific organization of labor. Research in the field of management sciences and administrative law was interrupted in the mid-30s.

Studies in administrative law were resumed in the late 1930s. and for more than 20 years the problems of public administration have been studied within the framework of administrative law. The USSR was dominated by the Marxist school, which was based on a class approach and considered the state as an instrument of the political power of the ruling class in society. Later, a significant number of scientists shared the concept of a nationwide state. The study of management problems, but on a new basis, was resumed in the early 1960s. Basically, these were the works of lawyers (B.P. Kurashvili, I.L. Bachilo, Yu.A. Tikhomirov, V.M. Lazarev, G.V. Atamanchuk, etc.). The opinion was expressed that the science of public administration should be comprehensive, covering both state-legal and socio-economic, psychological, technical, organizational and natural-science aspects of management. Public administration as a field of scientific research began to develop rapidly in our country since the early 90s. 20th century

Introduction

1. The concept of public administration

2. Impact of public administration:

2.1. Conscious impact

2.2. Targeted impact

3. Functions of public administration

3.1. goal setting

3.2. Forecasting

3.3. Informing

3.4. Organization function

3.5. Functions of coordination and regulation

3.6. Activation function managed

3.7. Function of control and supervision

4. Management activities

4.1. Political leadership

4.2. Administrative management

5. Public administration is part of the social

5.1. Traditional

5.2. empirical

5.3. Scientific

6. The objective necessity of public administration

CONCLUSION


INTRODUCTION

The state by its very nature is an organization of political power and government. Power and management are two main, inextricably linked functions of the state. Power as the ability of some groups of society to impose their will on the whole society existed and exists insofar as it is a tool for managing people. Political domination was everywhere based on the exercise of some public official function, and political domination proved to be lasting only if it performed this public function. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize as correct the definition of the state in its own, narrow sense of the concept as the main institution of the political system of a class society that manages society, protects its economic and social structure.

The analysis of public administration consists in recognizing it as an objectively necessary function of the state, as a rational activity that does not exclude freedom, but is a socio-political form of its expression and conscious realization of social necessity.


THE CONCEPT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Public administration is the conscious impact of state institutions on the activities of society, its individual groups, in which social needs and interests, generally significant goals and the will of society are realized.

In the content of the formulated definition of the concept, the unity of the general characteristic of social management is fixed - a conscious, purposeful impact on society, and specific to public administration: a special subject, its distinctive goals, and also - the object of control influence. The subject of management is state institutions - organizations of special groups of people endowed with the authority necessary for managerial actions and acting on behalf of society and every citizen on the basis of established legal norms. The object of state administration is society as a whole or its individual groups, socio-political, economic, cultural and other organizations, their activities.

IMPACTS OF GOVERNANCE

Conscious influence on society and its groups, on individual citizens with the aim of directing their behavior and activities into the influence of the state on the public life of people in order to streamline, preserve or transform it, based on power. A number of authors define the concept of "public administration" as the practical organizing activity of the state on the basis of and in pursuance of laws, consisting in the implementation of executive and administrative functions by a continuously operating apparatus of government, others - as an organizing, executive and administrative activity carried out on the basis of and pursuant to laws and consisting in the daily performance of the functions of the state. The last definition, unlike the previous ones, is narrower and in many respects reduces public administration to executive and administrative activities.

Public administration is a specific type of social, which is an impact on society with the aim of streamlining it, maintaining qualitative specifics, improving and developing.

In the definition of the concept of public administration, the general and specific, characteristic of its essence as the political and administrative impact of state power institutions on society, should be theoretically expressed. In accordance with this approach, the following definition can be formulated: public administration is the conscious impact of state institutions on the activities of society, its individual groups, in which social needs and interests, generally significant goals and the will of society are realized.

The unity of the general, inherent in social management - a conscious, purposeful impact on society, and specific to public administration: a special subject, its distinctive goals, and also - the object of control influence. The subject of management is state institutions - organizations of special groups of people endowed with the authority necessary for managerial actions and acting on behalf of society and every citizen on the basis of established legal norms. The object of state administration is society as a whole or its individual groups, socio-political, economic, cultural and other organizations, their activities.

The governing impact of state institutions is a purposeful impact on the natural state of society in the interests of classes and other large social groups, the desire to give it an organized functioning in accordance with established norms, ensure its adaptation to changing environmental conditions, as well as its possible improvement and development.

The concept of "management" denotes mainly an external (coming from the subject) goal-setting impact on the system, an impact that is a factor in maintaining and stimulating a certain direction of the system's self-development. Regulation involves the creation necessary conditions for the spontaneous action of the internal laws and mechanisms of the system. For example, to prevent conflicts or reconcile conflicting parties. Management means the selection and purposeful use of methods and means, as well as the development of technologies for the action of state institutions to achieve the planned results (changes in the system, settlement and resolution of conflicts, etc.).

The theory of social control has identified and described two types of mechanisms for regulating the behavior of people in society: conscious (rational) and spontaneous regulation. Conscious regulation is social, including public administration. The essence of the spontaneous mechanism is in the spontaneous, spontaneous (automatic) regulation of the processes of behavior and activities of social subjects, which does not require the intervention of state or any other governing forces. Such is, for example, the so-called free market with its regulatory mechanism of competition. “So-called” because in reality the market in developed countries is now largely controlled.

Public administration is made up of a set of interrelated typical actions that form the structure of the management process. This is an analysis of a specific situation; choice of goals; forecasting, development of the state strategy and planning of activities for the implementation of the chosen goals, the planned strategy; informing the managed object; organization; coordination; activation (motivation, stimulation); regulation; the control; generalized assessment of management results. These activities are called management functions, the totality of which constitutes its content.

CONTROL FUNCTIONS

Management functions are the main types of management activities generated by the division of labor in the management process. That is, those that must be produced without fail in the course of making and executing a management decision. Depending on the sequence of implementation of functions, the management process is divided into stages (phases).

The functions of public administration, understood as a process of purposeful influence of state bodies on public facilities, are characterized by general and specific features. Basically, the set of functions coincides with social management, their sequence in the management process, which is explained by a single social entity comparable institutions. The specificity of the functions of public administration is determined mainly by the subject, and also, to a certain extent, by the object of management. The state, as a management apparatus separated from society and possessing public power, firstly, gives the management functions a political aspect (orientation towards common interests and common goals); secondly, it links their implementation with the mechanism of power; thirdly, it proceeds from the fact that the main subject of functions is an official socially organized group (state body, institution).

Characterizing general functions state and municipal administration, among them we should first of all highlight, in our opinion, the following.

Goal-setting, development and adoption of normative legal acts is the defining function of management. In the structure of public administration, it acquires specific features. The goal is an ideal image of the future result of the activity. Its formation presupposes knowledge of social development trends, social needs and interests of social groups and citizens, as well as the development, taking into account them, and the adoption of regulatory legal acts. It is important that the subject will not be able to formulate and achieve real goals if he does not rely on knowledge of the specific situation in which he and the ruled live and act at a given time and in a given sector of the social space (territory of the country). Therefore, goal setting precedes concrete analysis specific situation - set of conditions prevailing at a given moment in time.

In the scientific and educational literature, the terms "public administration" and "state regulation" are constantly encountered and widely used. In Russian sources devoted to management not only in the economic, but also in the political and social spheres, the word "regulation" in most cases is associated with government regulation economy. Neither scientific sources nor dictionaries contain clear, convincing explanations about the semantic differences between the concepts of "management" and "regulation" Raizenberg B.A. Decree. Op.S. 17. .

A very precise definition of control was given by G.V. Atamanchuk: management is goal-setting, i.e. creative, thoughtful, organizing and regulating the impact of people on their own social life, which can be carried out both directly (in the form of self-government), and through specially created bodies and structures (state bodies, political parties, public associations, enterprises, societies, unions, etc.) Atamanchuk G.V. Theory of public administration: a course of lectures. M., 1997.S. 29-30. .

However, before defining the concept of public administration, it is advisable to consider the issue of the state-legal nature of governance and the structure of the theory of public administration.

Public administration contains objective and subjective prerequisites for its implementation. Public administration is subjective, since it is the fruit of the thoughts and actions of people (civil servants, officials). Responsibility for the content of management should be borne by those who are the subject of management. Being subjective in content, public administration is objectively determined by the conditions and factors within which it functions. It seems reasonable that the mechanism of public determinism of public administration by its socio-political nature can be expressed as follows: nature-goals - functions-structure-process-principles.

The general theory of public administration consists of the following necessary elements:

  • 1) goals and objectives of public administration;
  • 2) correlation of management functions with other functions of state activity;
  • 3) interaction of public administration bodies with other state bodies - parliament, government, courts;
  • 4) organization of public administration and its system;
  • 5) the role and appointment of a person in public administration, i.e. the importance of management personnel.

The main areas of public administration theory are:

  • 1) management personnel (public service);
  • 2) leadership and interaction in management;
  • 3) budget;
  • 4) organization, planning;
  • 5) information and information technologies;
  • 6) legislation Bazhin I. Methodology for assessing the activities of executive authorities // Public Service. M., 2009. N1.S. 77. .

The definition of "public administration" can be approached from different points of view. Sometimes governance is defined as a state activity that is neither justice nor lawmaking. The classical definition defines management as the activity of the state or other subjects of state (public) power, which is carried out outside the boundaries of lawmaking and justice. This so-called negative definition of public administration singles out and links together such phenomena and institutions as public administration and the government as the executive body of a single state power(as well as other executive authorities) and local governments that implement the functions of public administration to a certain extent (for which the state delegates the necessary powers to them).

All definitions of public administration contain an indication of its main content - the purposeful practical impact of the state on social relations in order to streamline, organize the corresponding system and exert regulatory influence on it, i.e. ensure its proper functioning and possible modification. It should be noted that such an impact is provided precisely by the power of the state, i.e. the imperious nature of the methods and means used in the management process Eliseenko V.F. Agencies in the system of executive power. M., 2004.S. fourteen. .

All types of state activity can be divided into three groups according to their place in the system of implementation of state power, content and forms of expression.

Generic consolidated forms of state activity carried out by state bodies of legislative, executive and judicial power are commonly referred to as branches of state power. In terms of its internal content, the activity of the bodies of each of these three branches of government is complex and consolidated, as it includes several forms, but only one of which is the main and determining one. Thus, for representative (legislative) authorities, the main and determining type of their activity is legislative, although the Federal Assembly also carries out its activities in other forms, such as impeachment, amnesty, participation in the decision personnel issues on the appointment and dismissal of certain senior officials of the state. In the same way, for executive authorities, the main and determining type of activity is managerial executive and administrative activity, although they also carry out other types of state activity: representative activity of the Russian Federation in foreign states, various forms of participation in legislative activity, development of foreign and domestic policy doctrines.

Specific specialized forms of state activity are derived from the three generic branches of state power. These include, for example, the exercise of prosecutorial power, the activities of the Accounts Chamber, the Commissioner for Human Rights and his apparatus, the bodies of the Central Election Commission and some other parts of the state apparatus system. The specialized types of state activities carried out by these bodies are also provided for in the current Constitution of the Russian Federation and are regulated in detail by special federal laws. Krylov B.S. Separation of power: a system of checks and balances // Journal of Russian Law. 2008. No. 6.S. 79. .

Functional forms of state activity, the content of which is the specific functions of various law enforcement and other state bodies carrying out investigation, inquiry, operational-search activity, as well as numerous and diverse special executive, control, licensing, regulatory and other functions in established areas of jurisdiction.

The organization of all the above types of state activity is accompanied, provided or served by organizational management activities, which complicates the complete definition of the subject of administrative law, which is considered in the next chapter.

public administration theory

Public administration as the main, determining form of the implementation of executive power and the type of state activity has a number of features. The main one, reflecting the essence and social purpose of public administration, lies in the practically organizing nature of this type of state activity. The purpose of public administration is the desire, ability and ability of executive authorities to organize the practical implementation of general prescriptions and norms of federal bodies and subjects of the Federation, decrees of the President of the Russian Federation, as well as acts of heads of subjects of the Federation, decrees of the President of the Russian Federation Stolyarov M.V. Competence of power: delimitation of subjects of jurisdiction and powers between the Federation and its subjects in the context of reform. M., 2007.S. 37.

The second sign of public administration is its continuous and cyclical nature, which is objectively due to the continuity of social production and consumption in the broadest sense of the word. All other types of state activity related to the implementation of legislative, judicial, prosecutorial and other types of state power are intermittent, while state administration is carried out continuously, continuously. One cycle ends management process, begins, continues, and ends with another.

The third sign of public administration is the executive and administrative nature of this type of state activity. This sign reflects the features of the performance activities of government bodies and their officials for the practical implementation general requirements and prescriptions of laws and acts of presidential power.

The fourth sign is that the state administration exercises powers of a jurisdictional nature, i.e. provides an administrative (out-of-court) procedure for the implementation by executive authorities of the so-called "coercive" management (for example, the imposition of administrative penalties, the application of administrative warnings or administrative restraints).

The fifth sign - public administration is built on the basis of vertical (subordination, hierarchical) and horizontal connections and relationships. Vertical relationships are more common, i.e. relations of strict subordination to the administrative and disciplinary authorities of the subjects of management. In recent years, new forms of organization have appeared - horizontal relations based on the equality of subjects of management. In this case, we can talk about the redistribution of powers between the executive authorities, the conclusion of public (administrative) contracts.

Government bodies fulfill the requirements of laws and other general instructions of the presidential and government authorities through a system of executive and administrative management actions, which are expressed in the administrative and legal acts adopted by them and organizational and executive actions. They execute the laws by ordering.

Thus, based on the foregoing, we can conclude that public administration is an extremely complex dynamic system, each element of which transmits, perceives and transforms regulatory influences in such a way that they streamline social life.

The book discusses the theoretical aspects of the system of state and local government, including the essence and specifics of public administration, its laws, principles, forms and methods, features of the subject and object of public administration, a functional analysis of the activities of the state, authorities as a political and legal institution of social management and the resulting political and social relations. The present tutorial is intended for students, trainees, undergraduates, doctoral students and teachers of the system of training, retraining and advanced training of civil servants, economists and lawyers.

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The following excerpt from the book Theory of public administration (K. S. Mukhtarova, 2015) provided by our book partner - the company LitRes.

CHAPTER 1. THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF STATE ADMINISTRATION

Questions:

1. Theoretical aspect management activities of the state

2. Methodological basis of the theory of public administration

3. Objects and subjects of public administration and their system

1.1. Theoretical aspect of the administrative activity of the state

The activity of the state is a rather complex and multifaceted process. The phenomenon of the state is studied by many scientific disciplines, which include macroeconomics, the theory of state and law, administrative law, political science, sociology, the science of social management, conflictology, etc. Each of these sciences studies its own aspect of the multifaceted activities of the state.

Public administration is social phenomenon politically organizational civilization. The level of development of socio-economic relations of modern society objectively requires appropriate regulation by the state.

At the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, there was a quantitative increase in the tasks of public administration and their qualitative complication became apparent, especially during the Great Depression of the 1920s-1930s.

At the beginning of the 21st century, a rethinking of the basic idea of ​​public administration began, which was caused by the globalization of the economy and the implementation of social reforms. The developed countries of the world are moving to a post-industrial society, which is becoming more and more open to information. At the same time, there is a fundamental renewal of the understanding of the role of public administration, its social conditionality, scale and effectiveness.

The theory of public administration is an independent scientific discipline that studies the management of public life of people. The subject of this science is the problems of the essence and specifics of public administration, its laws, principles, forms and methods, features of the subject and object of public administration, as well as a functional analysis of the state, the activities of its authorities as a political and legal institution for managing society and the emerging political legal and social relations.

The subject area of ​​this scientific discipline is outlined by the concepts of "state", "politics", "public administration" and "power". Consequently, the concept underlying the discipline comes from the relationship of politics, law, government and power. The separation of politics from management, the opposition of public administration to politics gave rise to a twofold approach in theory, which boils down to the following:

- public administration - a branch of the science of administration, that is, the economic management of socio-economic processes in the state;

Public administration is a political science.

The activities of the state in the field of socio-economic management are inextricably linked with the legal regulation of social relations and people's behavior. Hence the legal aspect of the theory of public administration. Therefore, we can assume that the theory of public administration is a socio-economic and political-legal science.

The theory of public administration is a complex science. The main task in studying the theory of public administration is to master the conceptual apparatus. The analysis of concepts in relation to the patterns of their formation is important because each concept (term, scientific category, definition) carries a large functional load.

The scientific discipline "Theory of public administration" includes the following concepts:

- general concepts as public administration, the state as a subject of administration, an object of public administration; government; management activities; management relations that characterize management as the main function of the state;

- concepts that consider public administration as a process of functional activity; functions of public administration, laws and principles of administration, forms, methods, means and style of administration;

- concepts that reflect the main components of the management process and its stages: political participation, political choice, political strategy, targeted management; state management decision and decision making;

- concepts that characterize the sources, driving forces, motivating and blocking factors of managerial activity and relations, which include national-state interests, political interests of social groups and communities, conflicts of interest, national and group values, public policy;

- the concepts of the system of public administration, the system of state power, the levels of subjects of government and power, the centralization and decentralization of power and control, describing public administration as a whole;

- concepts that describe the external environment in which different types of government are carried out: social, political, legal, economic, geopolitical and other spaces, units of social time.

In the scientific literature, management is divided into types according to various criteria. So, depending on the spheres of social life, they distinguish: management of society as a whole, economic management, social management, political management, spiritual and ideological management; from the structure of social relations: the management of the economic and, accordingly, the management of the political, social and spiritual development of society; from objects of management: economic management, socio-political management, management of spiritual life.

According to the nature and volume of social phenomena covered by management, they are called: social management, state management, management of industries, sectors of the national economy, management of enterprises, organizations, institutions, firms, etc.

Among all types of government, public administration, as a result of the social division of labor, occupies a special place, which is explained by some of its inherent properties.

There are three such properties.

The concept of public administration characterizes the area of ​​scientific knowledge and the scope of practical activities related to solving the problems of state organization and regulation of public life.

Public administration is a social phenomenon of a politically organizational civilization.

Socio-economic relations of modern society require appropriate regulation by the state.

At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. there was a quantitative increase in the tasks of public administration and their qualitative complication was indicated. This became especially important in the 1930s. 20th century

With the transition of civilization to the post-industrial stage of development with an open information space, a rethinking of the basic idea of ​​public administration began, which was caused by global social reforms carried out in different countries. At the beginning of the 21st century, a fundamental renewal of understanding of the role of public administration, its social conditionality, scale and effectiveness began.

A rational explanation of the nature and essence of public administration from scientific positions involves its comprehensive consideration in interaction with the surrounding social environment. The study of the social sphere, where public administration is implemented, means searching for answers to questions about what are the characteristics of civil society and how it influences the power-management activities of the state. In fact, the problem of the correlation of public authority with state administration and civil society is being solved, i.e. interaction of political institutions in the implementation of public administration.

The public administration system includes subsystems of goals and principles for the implementation of state-imperious influence on social life. This impact is usually expressed in legal forms. It includes organizational structures the state apparatus, the system of state bureaucracy, the totality of the functions they implement, the complex of methods, means and resources used, as well as direct and inverse relationships between subjects and objects of management, the necessary information flows, document flow, etc.

The process of public administration is a conscious and purposeful activity associated with the implementation of state powers by public authorities and regulated by legal norms, as a result of which there is a direct change in the social states of events and phenomena.

The organizing and regulating influence of the state can be divided into two components: political and administrative. Within the framework of political management, the questions are solved: what? why? why? The administrative component is a more concrete manifestation of the actual public administration, resolving the questions: how? with the help of what?

There is both a close relationship and significant differences between politics and public administration. Politics is largely emotional in the sense that it is sensitive to public opinion, the mood of the broad masses of people, their momentary aspirations, is influenced by current events, depends on the preferences of certain leaders, social interests, etc. Politicians determine the normative-valuable knowledge aimed at clarifying the expediency of state actions and evaluative characteristics.

Public administration is more rational, i.e. functionally organized and solves specific problems. In it, the main role is played by normative and positive knowledge aimed at analyzing state activity and its consequences.

There are two polar approaches to the question of the relationship between the concepts of politics and public administration. In the framework of the first approach, it is believed that it is necessary to minimize the role of politics in every possible way. The second approach considers public administration only as a mechanism for implementing the political course formulated by the highest authorities. If the first approach extols free market and economic methods of regulation, the second approach advocates the need to create a centralized system of leadership and strengthen administrative measures.

It is customary to distinguish three structural levels of public administration organization:

1) the highest (institutional, political) - it is the boundary between politics and public administration, it determines the general policy of the state and the main tasks of its implementation.

2) medium (administrative) is the area of ​​functional management. At this level, any type of activity is analyzed and decomposed into various organizational and managerial components (planning, organization, motivation, control).

3) lower (technological) - here there is a direct satisfaction of social needs for public administration services, which are converted into specific products (results) used by individual citizens, organizations and society as a whole.

The career-oriented area of ​​public administration is focused on the administrative level and mediates between the highly politicized institutional level and the analytical, bureaucratic, technological level.

The concept of the mechanism of public administration implies the functioning of the system of the state apparatus. The essence of this mechanism lies in the organization of public administration, the purpose of the implementation of the mechanism of public administration in the activities is to streamline the impact on social processes. The mechanism of public administration expresses the relationship of direct and feedback between the state apparatus as a subject of public administration and the public system as an object of public administration. The organization of state influence on the social system includes, on the one hand, the principles, functions, methods, forms and style of leadership that express the content of public administration; on the other hand, frames public service, information and office equipment, providing the actual management process.

The most important specific feature of the mechanism of public administration is its consolidation in legal form. Legal regulation management relations in the field of public administration, in addition to the legal framework, includes managerial legal relations, acts of exercising subjective rights and legal obligations by the parties to these relations, as well as specific legal mediation in certain industries and areas.

But the legal component of the mechanism of public administration is complemented by a social component. The effectiveness of management practice is determined by progressive changes in the socio-economic sphere.

The state, being the subject of management, has a decisive influence on the nature of purposeful, organizing and regulatory influences carried out by this type of management. With all the differences in the interpretation of the state and the diversity of its manifestations, almost all researchers single out the powerful power inherent in it. Indeed, the state is therefore a state and thus differs from social structures, because it concentrates and implements it in society - in relation to people - state power. And power is such a relationship in which people, for various reasons - material, social, intellectual, informational, and others - voluntarily (consciously) or under duress recognize the supremacy of the will of others, as well as target, regulatory institutions and in accordance with their requirements. perform certain actions and actions, build their lives. Power is a means of functioning of people of any social community, which manifests itself as a relation of subordination of the persons included in this community to a single guiding will in it.

Power exists in a family, a group of people, their team, it is contained in traditions, customs, public opinion, morality, where all this is incomparable with state power, which has legal conditionality (legitimacy), and in implementation - the power of the state apparatus, which also has the means coercion. Therefore, in public administration, its control actions are based on state power, supported and provided by it.

A specific property of public administration is its prevalence throughout society, it extends even beyond its borders, to other societies of people within the framework of the international policy pursued by the state. Often this thesis confuses the understanding of managerial decisions, because it gives rise to the idea that the state interferes in all the actions and actions of people, manages all their relationships. To some extent, the totalitarian state tried to do something similar, but it was not able to carry it out due to the impossibility of establishing total control over society, since there always remained, albeit an insignificant, resisting part of the population. The normal version of the relationship between the state and society assumes that the social life of people has a large amount of freedom, independence and self-government. But the boundaries of this freedom, independence and self-government are determined along with public institutions and the state. It is the state, through legislation, that establishes the basic, general, model rules behavior of people in all spheres of society and ensures their observance by its imperious force.

The state regulates social relations, manages society on behalf of society. This is the essence of its social purpose. To continue the existence of human society, it is necessary to ensure the constant production and reproduction of social life, which is achieved by the presence of social management. The purpose of the state as any special organization of power is to manage the processes of implementation of the tasks facing society. Almost all problems of the theory of the state are directly or indirectly related to the essence of the state, since without the help of the state it is impossible to solve political, economic, social and other problems of society.

The state, being a complex and multifaceted social phenomenon and acting as a subject of government, also gives public administration the property of being systematic. Unlike other types of government, public administration simply cannot take place without this property. It involves tens of millions of people, many state bodies and other structures, and they have a large number of officials and other employees. Public administration uses a variety of expensive material, financial and intellectual resources, extensive information. It consists of a mass of managerial decisions and organizational actions. For public administration, the property of consistency has become of fundamental importance. Only its presence gives it the necessary coherence, coordination, subordination, a certain purposefulness, rationality and efficiency.

Thus, public administration is the practical, organizing and regulating influence of the state on the system of social relations with the aim of streamlining and systematic development, based on its power. Any definition of a complex social phenomenon is always conditional and limited, since it inevitably leaves some important elements and relationships. The advantage of the proposed definition of public administration is that it combines into a logical integrity at least three points:

- the state is considered as a systematically organized subject of management;

- society adequately perceives the control actions from the state and responds to them;

- control actions form active relationships between the state and society.

Public administration can be viewed as the activity of a special group of people in the political and administrative system, carried out on a professional basis, realizing the will of the state on the basis of laws and other regulatory legal acts to provide and ensure the constitutional and legislative rights of citizens to provide public services in order to build a legal socially oriented state.

The essence of public administration is revealed through its environment, resources, implementation of decisions and control. Environment consists of economic, political, legal and cultural conditions for the activities of public administration entities and provides boundaries, objects, forms and methods of management.

The branch of public administration is a system of links of government bodies united by a common object of management (management of industry, transport, agriculture, construction, internal and external affairs, education, health care, finance, defense, communications, railways, forestry).

The sphere of public administration is a complex of organizational relations regarding the implementation of intersectoral special-purpose powers (for example, standardization, certification, planning).

The state-legal nature of management is determined by the following features:

First, in the management process, the functions of the state are carried out while observing the interests of the state and ensuring the rights and freedoms of citizens;

Secondly, management functions are carried out by subjects specially created by the state on behalf of and on behalf of it or by other subjects to which the state transfers part of its powers in the field of management;

Thirdly, all subjects of state administration are obliged to act within the competence established for them by laws and other regulatory legal acts.

1.2. Methodological basis of the theory of public administration

The methodological basis of the theory of public administration must begin to be considered from the concept of methodology. This is not only a set of knowledge, but also principles - philosophical and sociological, political science and other general scientific principles - and theories that substantiate them. Methodology is a system of the most general principles, provisions, logical organization, methods and means that form the basis of a particular science. It is the defining beginning of the process of cognition, as well as a system of general theoretical requirements that are implemented in a complex of specific methods and techniques of scientific cognition regarding the objects of social reality.

With regard to public administration, the methodology is a set of subjects and objects, goals and objectives, principles, approaches and functions, criteria and indicators, forms and methods of management.

The most important component of public administration is the methodological guidelines and approaches that have a decisive impact on all components of the management methodology.

Methodological guidelines and approaches to public administration can differ significantly from each other, which leads to the formation of various schools that bring together like-minded scientists. For example, one can single out totalitarian, democratic and state-religious methodological approaches.

With a totalitarian approach to governance, the emphasis is on the need for a strong state power (we can talk about the dictatorship of a leader, a certain social stratum), on the merger of state bodies and the ruling party, on the subordination of public associations to them. This is an administrative command system.

Democratic concepts of public administration are represented by many different schools that advocate the ideas of “the state is good”, “the state is a night watchman”, etc. Despite all the differences in democratic concepts of public administration, they are all based on the principles of democracy, universal values, common rather than class interests , political and ideological pluralism, the rule of law, etc.

The concept of public administration in many Muslim countries is based on state-religious approaches. For example, the concept of Muslim fundamentalism is based on the ideas of the caliphate as the best form of government, the rejection of elections to government bodies.

The methodology of public administration is based on the laws of social development. And although the laws do not depend on the will and consciousness of people and are objective, people are not powerless in front of them. Knowing the objective laws, they also predetermine the objective necessity of their actions, consciously organize their activities.

This suggests that people's activities are determined not only by laws, but also by a subjective factor - their consciousness, which makes it possible to influence people's behavior through the system of public administration.

The correct reflection and use of the laws of social development in the public administration system ensures the advancement of society. In the case of the reverse action, disproportions, contradictions, conflicts arise.

Methodology is the defining beginning of the process of cognition, which includes a system of general theoretical requirements that are implemented in a complex of specific methods and techniques of scientific knowledge and explanation of the stages of development of society.

In modern political science, there are various methodological concepts of the analysis of political reality. A similar situation is observed in the literature on public administration. Some typical ones can be singled out: general philosophical dialectical-materialistic methodology, political sociological types of analysis - systemic and structural-functional, conflictological and cybernetic approaches. The desire for objectivity in explaining political and social reality allows us to conclude that it is possible to consider these methodological concepts as not mutually exclusive, but as complementary approaches to the analysis of reality.

The application of the dialectical-materialist methodology to the theory of public administration means at least three main requirements that are recommended to be implemented when studying the activities of the state: firstly, to consider the state as a social system, and its administrative activity as one of the types of social management; secondly, to understand the phenomenon of public administration as a rational (conscious) activity, that is, as one that is implemented in various forms of political and social reality, organizational and managerial structures, political and legal acts, real managerial relations between the centers of state power, parties and public associations, etc.; thirdly, to build a theoretical analysis of public administration, taking into account the principle of a concrete historical approach. This means the recognition of the idea of ​​development, as well as the specific historical specifics of public administration.

The concrete-historical, materialistic type of analysis includes the requirements of a class approach, but only where groups of class interests really exist and have a significant impact on managerial decision-making. It is impossible to deny the class approach in the analysis of state policy and in the development of a strategy for state administration. In a situation where social class differentiation is growing in society, and phenomena of class conflict are heard, to ignore the class approach means to retreat from objectivity. At the same time, it must be remembered that any class position in socio-political analysis carries elements of subjectivism. However, it can be neutralized by methodologies in which the class approach is only one of the elements, and not the main ones.

The general philosophical dialectical-materialistic methodology does not contradict, but is concretized in the methodology of system analysis. They should not be opposed, if only because the systemic type of study of social processes was first used by K. Marx in his famous Capital. This methodology was theoretically substantiated in modern socio-political sciences in the works of T. Parsons (USA, 1951) and D. Easton (1953-1965). D. Easton's systems model is a fundamental application of general systems theory to political analysis. The fundamental concepts of systems theory were introduced into political science: political system, stability, equilibrium, function, feedback, etc. The system approach in the theory of public administration is an analysis based on the presence of internal relationships in public administration that form a single whole.

The study of public administration as a system also involves a structural-functional approach. The concepts of "structure" and "function" fit into the more universal - "system". Structural-functional analysis is subordinated to the solution of problems associated with the existence and maintenance of the viability of the system.

In modern management theory, structural-functional analysis, according to scientists, includes two aspects. Structural aspect: a) clarification of the components that make up this system; b) determination of regular connections of these components. Functional aspect: the study of the internal mechanism of the functioning of the elements of the system, as well as the study of the external functioning of the system - the interaction of the system with the external environment.

By its nature, the administrative activity of the state is aimed at regulating and resolving social contradictions and conflicts between general and private interests. Conflict interaction of elements of the control and managed systems, subjects of integration and disintegration, development and destruction, etc. characteristic of state-public systems. Therefore, the conflictological approach in the theory of public administration is as objectively conditioned as the others mentioned above. It is an integral feature of the dialectical methodology of cognition and practical activity. True, in the young conflictology science, this concept is not shared by everyone. In contrast to the point of view of the German political scientist R. Dahrendorf, who considers the political and social process as a chain of conflicts, the concept of T. Parsons is focused on studying the social order, the stability of the social system, where the conflict is interpreted as a temporary, irregular phenomenon.

It would seem that the direct opposition of these concepts excludes the possibility of any combination of them. And, nevertheless, R. Dahrendorf believes that his position (the conflict model of society) is no more true than the other - the functional model of consent. In his opinion, both are useful and necessary for sociological and political analysis, since both components of social relations are constantly present in public life: cooperation and conflict.

Mention should also be made of the political-culturological approach that has become widespread in political science in recent years. It enables the type political culture characteristic of a particular society, to judge the political system, the nature of state-legal institutions, their managerial activities and state-administrative relations.

The criterion of any methodology used in specific areas of scientific knowledge is the possibility of achieving objective truth and the effectiveness of political action based on the implementation of the acquired knowledge. This possibility, however, is limited by the social conditions of cognition. D.P.Zerkin, V.G.Ignatov distinguish the following features that characterize the knowledge of political and managerial processes.

First feature. The analysis of the processes of state administration in all cases is subjective in form, because the analyst carries out it from the standpoint of a certain part of society, say, social group, political organization, etc. He is a participant in the political life of the country, the state (at least as a citizen). The analyst thinks on the basis of that material, those ideas that have developed or are developing, and even dominate, at a given time in society.

Objective truth in the political sciences is more often expressed in a subjective form.

The second feature. The theory of public administration cannot move from one country to another, allegedly due to the factual substantiation of its objectivity, without changing its problematic field, means, methods and direction of research, but only by averaging the properties of political subjects. To build a science about a political object, its ontological picture is needed, depicting politics as an object of scientific knowledge. And this creates serious difficulties in the way of the formation of scientific knowledge. However, this circumstance does not mean that this science is impossible in principle. The theory of public administration is formed on the basis of, firstly, historical experience, including Soviet, and secondly, modern international and Kazakhstani experience, even if it is destructive in many respects.

Third feature. Building a theory of public administration on the basis of an ontological picture of the construction of a modern state and the policy of its administration creates a real prerequisite for a subjectivist, ideologically and politically biased approach to understanding the social function of the theory - interpreting it as an instrumental theory. This term was used by a well-known modern American economist, a representative of the old (Veblen) institutional and Keynesian currents, one of the prominent theoretical economists of the 20th century, John Kenneth Galbraith, when critically characterizing those Western economic theories, the authors of which see their main goal and function of the theory not in an objective explanation really existing economic system in a given country, but in the formation of ideas about this system, similar or coinciding with the ideas of the forces and organizations dominant in society. The subjectivist theoretical image serves as a substitute for objective reality and is a tool for substantiating the policy of the ruling power structures. The real function of theory, whether economic or political, is not serving any interests, not an instrumental function, but an explanatory one, contributing to an objective understanding of people, including leaders, ruling elites and dominant economic subjects of social reality.

The instrumentality of the theory of public administration is formed in response to the social order of the ruling groups and institutions of power. This social order has its source in the object of knowledge - the ontological picture of the state administration system in a given country. That is the difficulty of overcoming the instrumental approach in the theoretical analysis of public administration problems.

The next feature is related to the fact that the object of reflection of the theory we are analyzing is the modern political and social reality, and its modernity is dynamic, contradictory, in many respects with uncertain prospects for the future, it is always more difficult to understand and explain than the past that has already taken place. Although the knowledge of the past is also not without problems. Methodology in that case ensures the comprehension of objective truth, if it is concretized and implemented in adequate scientific methods and technologies for describing and explaining reality.

1.3. Objects and subjects of public administration and their system

The concept of public administration includes the most important organizational and legal categories that are manifested in managerial relations:

a) state administrative activity is the implementation by the subjects of executive power, as well as other levels of state administration (civil servants and officials) of the functions of state administration;

b) the subject of public administration is the state as a set of public authorities at all levels of the administrative apparatus. A specific subject of state administration is the relevant body, official of the state or local government;

c) the object of state administration is the public relations of social, national and other communities of people, public associations, organizations, legal entities, the behavior of individual citizens, acquiring social significance, that is, these are relations that can be subject to state regulation.

Categories of object and subject of public administration are one of the important methodological issues of the theory of public administration. Their solution is the key to understanding subject-object relations in public administration and ensuring its democratic nature.

The concept of the subject in the theory of public administration is ambiguous. It is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of the subject of politics, the subject of public administration, the subject of the official function. The criterion for differentiation is the attitude towards state power and the nature in the implementation of management functions. The subject of politics is the people, its large social groups, their parts (strata, elite groups, labor collectives, socio-political organizations and other public associations), directly or through their representatives participating in decision-making on major political issues.

Elections of representatives of power structures and referendums are the main procedures for making political decisions.

The subject of state administration is the bodies of state power, endowed with constitutional powers to exercise power and direct control social processes and the activities of the state. Relying on the will of society, they develop and adopt state decisions at various levels, organize their implementation and control. The subjects of public administration include socio-political organizations and associations that participate in the development of forecasts and draft decisions, political programs implemented by state institutions. The subjects of public administration are institutions of political leadership and administrative management, which differ in many ways.

A public administration body is a subject of power that directly performs the functions of public administration within the limits established by legislative and other regulatory legal acts, is endowed with appropriate competence, has a certain structure and managerial personnel.

The subjects of public administration are classified according to the following criteria:

- There are three branches of government: legislative (representative), executive, judicial bodies of state power. Representative bodies are engaged in the development and adoption of laws, which are an instrument of state power and a regulator social activities and the relationship of members of society between themselves and the state. The subject of executive power combines an imperious function with managerial action. For example, the President of Kazakhstan determines the Development Strategy for the long term, the Government of Kazakhstan develops the Development Concepts and government plans for the medium term, while line ministries develop and implement short-term plans for the development of sectors. The subject of the judiciary performs the function of justice through legal proceedings, which is an integral element of the management process;

- levels of organization of state power: republican, regional and local levels that manage political relations, the economy, the social sphere, cultural life, the media, military activities, international affairs, etc.;

- the spheres of activity include the political, economic, social and spiritual spheres of social development;

- the nature, goals and means of influencing managed objects are taken into account, on the basis of which political leadership, administrative, economic, social and other types of management are distinguished;

- according to the nature of institutionalization, formally institutionalized state bodies and public institutions operating under their supervision are distinguished - expert councils, public institutions, consulting organizations, political factions, etc.;

- according to the composition, individual (for example, leading persons), collegiate (legislative authorities) are distinguished.

The activities of state administration entities are characterized by a number of formal features: a) regulated by law, carried out by officially authorized methods; b) is specialized, corresponding to the nature of the functions performed within the competence; c) the subjects are responsible to the state, sovereign, independent of the pressure of any external forces.

Outside of formal rules, lobbying groups function (usually at legislative institutions) representing the interests of large financial and industrial capital, the military-industrial complex, criminal capital, and the political elite. It is known that in the United States, for example, in addition to the constitutional authorities and administration, there are three main non-constitutional institutions of power: political, economic and military. Whoever is at the head of these institutions occupies strategic command posts in the system of state power.

Particularly noteworthy is the role of the Internet, television and radio, periodicals, and the mass media in general. Closed elite groups of owners of these funds and journalists serving them, functioning according to their own rules of the game, are a real force that claims to be the subject of government and society.

The subjects of official functions include persons holding a public position, as well as political leaders, officials of the administrative department. They are endowed with specific powers and individually responsible for the preparation, adoption and execution of government decisions. Officials, on the one hand, are included in a single subject of public administration, and on the other hand, they are singled out as a separate, individual subject, since its function is specific. It combines power and managerial powers - part of the powers of a state body, while the qualities of personal professionalism and individual responsibility for the results of the state body's activities are important.

Of course, the differences between the subject of politics, the subject of public administration and the subject of the official function are relative, since their roles in the system of state power and administration in certain aspects overlap or even coincide. However, for the most part they are specific, which must be taken into account when analyzing their interaction. State governing bodies can successfully perform their functions provided that the interests of political subjects are adequately expressed - the masses, social groups, and the community as a whole, on behalf of which they act. State bodies work effectively as long as the expectations and attitudes of the controlled masses coincide with the goals and objectives of the managers. They achieve the planned results if they rely on the support of the mass subjects of politics, perceive and use their mind and experience, and implement the rational proposals of the masses in the development of managerial decisions. In turn, the guarantee of the implementation by any official of his function is, on the one hand, action within the framework of the powers that are assigned to him. government agency, and on the other - serving the interests of society, the state. The actual implementation of these requirements in their combination is not an easy problem. Not always and not everyone manages to solve it. Bureaucracy is a decision with a clear bias in favor of the corporate interests of the state, and hence the people as a mass subject of politics.

All subjects of management have a number of universal features in which their essence is manifested. Subjects of management:

- express the interests of a certain social community - people, class, social group;

- are systematically organized social systems;

- have certain functions inherent in them;

- have their own, legally justified organization, including personal and institutional components;

- occupy a strictly defined place in the system of public administration, take strictly defined types of decisions.

Within the powers established by law, the subjects of management use economic, political, ideological means. In order to accelerate the development of a particular object, preferences are established for it, public investments are provided. These or those bodies and officials can use only such means of state administration that are permitted by law.

The interaction of subjects of control is also provided by feedback. Feedback can appear in various forms: bearers of economic functions can support or refuse to support the government, issue warnings to the government. Parliament can express no confidence in the government.

We can say that the main line feedback between carriers and executors of interests is trust or loss of trust, support by carriers and spokesmen of interests of the policy pursued by the state.

The object of public administration is a problem that also requires serious reflection. The object of public administration is the elements of the social environment and their connections, which change as a result of interaction with the subject of public administration. The specificity of various objects of state administration is determined by the human essence of managed objects. Based on the human essence of managed objects, one can single out their specific properties. Objects of state administration:

– self-active, i.e. capable of self-development on the basis of internal motives. The self-activity of objects is realized in various forms: it can consist in the transformation of the surrounding conditions and relationships in accordance with their own ideas; in adapting to the current situation;

- have purposefulness, i.e. on the one hand, public administration should take these goals into account, and, on the other hand, influence the formation of these goals;

– adaptive, i.e. are able to adapt to environmental conditions, including the control actions of the state;

– are capable of self-management of their life activity and their development;

- dependent on objective conditions and factors of social life.

The level of development of these properties of objects of state administration determines the degree of influence of the state on objects of management. The more developed managed objects, the softer can be public administration.

In a managed social system, in terms of components and structures, three main levels of managed objects are clearly identified:

- a person in the manifestations of his consciousness, behavior, labor and social activities, in his valuable socially productive activity;

- teams and associations of people, acting as the primary form of communication and joint activities;

- society as a whole, its social formations, relations, connections and processes arising in it as a result of the activity of people and their associations.

Questions for revision and discussion

1. Expand the essence and specific features of public administration.

2. Expand the content of the concept of "object" of public administration.

3. Consider the specifics of managed objects and their difference from government agencies.

4. Expand the content of the concept of "subject" of public administration and classify them according to various criteria.

5. Identify the specific features of the object and subject of public administration.

6. Explain the essence of the concept of "meritocracy".

Related tests

1. Characteristic features of the control action:

B) forecasting

C) planning

E) goal setting

2. Methods of managerial activity are understood as:

A) tools to achieve goals

B) methods and techniques for analyzing and evaluating management situations

C) a set of norms, principles used by the state

D) techniques and methods of stimulation

E) achievement of the set goals and objectives

3. Specificity of public administration:

A) distribution to the whole society, consistency, power

B) coercion and persuasion

C) political regime

D) dominance over people

E) control, stimulation, motivation

4. The subjects of public administration are distinguished by the following features:

A) by types of government

B) by belonging to the department

C) on legal grounds

D) ethical standards

E) by type of management

5. In relation to state power and the nature of the implementation of the management function, the subject of public administration is divided into:

A) subject of public administration

B) the subject of civil legal relations

D) the subject of administrative and legal relations

E) subject of control

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