Introduction
The politics-administration dichotomy is categorized among the top five issues in the public administration. The topic has attracted great debates over the years as people try to establish the relationship between politics and administration. The paper focuses on the implications of the politics-administration dichotomy theory suggestions and the application today. The implications discussed are based on the examples of how various agencies implement the theory today.
The relationship between politics and administration
Early studies by Wilson and Good now support the allegations that there is a difference between policy and administration (Fry & Nigro, 1998). On his part, Wilson identified politics in regards to law (who shall make the laws and what shall the law contain) while defined the administration as ways of exercising the law. On the other hand, Good identified politics as policies or regulations that express the will of a country while the administration is the execution of the set national policies (Stillman, 2000). The two studies or allegations have a common point of view regarding politics and administration. The similarities are that politics are focused mainly on law and policy-making while the administration is focused on the implementation and execution of policies. However, major differences concerning the differences between the two concepts have not been established. Various countries have employed the theory, but it has been proved that total separation of the two concepts is not achievable. Efforts to separate the two terms have led to the establishment of the current civil service commissions. From the science of administration by Wilson, it can be depicted that administration helps in creating competent leaders who play a significant role in excising power and safeguarding public interests (Henry, 2015).
The implications of dichotomy
Three agencies that share similar structures and staff compositions are the examples used to justify the inseparability of politics and administration are. The three corporations include the government accountability office, department of labor and social security administration (Henry, 2015). Based on the political side of the agencies, the president appoints the personnel positions in the firms while the career service staffs and temporary employees occupy the administration positions. The government tenure systems influence the agencies’ and employees’ sustainability. The second area of concern is how the government or the president controls the activities of the independent agencies. For instance, SSA is federal government funds support the SSA while the congressional mandates affect GAO. Lastly, a government appointee is selected in the department of labor to ensure that the firm accomplishes the policies that the president sets to help in improving the lives of Americans (Henry, 2015).
Conclusion
The analysis of the dichotomy theory shows that separation of politics and administration is unattainable since the two concepts are significantly interconnected (Stillman, 2000). The issue of public administration is an integral part of any government. The government cannot function effectively in its absence. Over the recent years, the government’s structure and contribution or duties of the public administration have changed. The formation of various branches of the government has led to the establishment of public policies, an essential part of a country. Therefore, it is justified that the interconnection between the two terms is vital, and there is no need of separating them since they work hand in hand with each other (Henry, 2015).
References
Fry, B. R., & Nigro, L. G. (1998). Five great issues in the profession of public administration. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC POLICY, 65, 1163-1221.
Henry, N. (2015). Public administration and public affairs. Routledge.
Stillman, R. (2000). The study of public administration in the United States: The eminently practical science. Public Administration: Concepts and Cases, 17-30.
