Introduction
In the late 1960s, people revealed their dissatisfaction with the government and the US policies. There was certain distrust as people did not believe in the government efficiency. Public administration theorists came up with ideas on increasing efficiency of the government. It is possible to note that the most remarkable theorists of that period were Anthony Downs, Aaron Wildavsky and Herbert Kaufman.
Anthony Downs
Admittedly, to improve efficiency of an organization it is vital to understand the way the organization develops. Downs described the life cycle of bureaus in detail. Thus, according to the theorist, bureaus are created to address an issue or a set of issues (Shafritz & Hyde, 2012).
Notably, the more tasks the organization addresses, the more new tasks it usually gets. As any other organizations, bureaus grow and this growth depends on the number of tasks addressed. The next stage is decline and disappearance.
However, Downs also notes that bureaus can skip this stage and continue growing or operating if they shift functions (Shafritz & Hyde, 2012). It is necessary to point out that Downs contributed greatly to the development of the public administration theory as he revealed major stages of bureaus existence.
This knowledge is vital for those involved in public administration as it helps understand the aims and methods used in this or that bureaus at different stages of their existence.
Aaron Wildavsky
Wildavsky focused on another aspect of public administration, i.e. budgeting. The theorist stressed that the system that existed at that time was inefficient (Shafritz & Hyde, 2012). Wildavsky also suggested his approach to make the system more effective. Noteworthy, the theorist claimed that in-depth analysis of data is the key to efficiency (Shafritz & Hyde, 2012).
Wildavsky also noted that administrators often lacked the necessary data and it led to inefficient decisions and policies (Cox et al., 2010). It is also necessary to note that the theorist paid specific attention to risk management.
Admittedly, Wildavsky made a significant contribution into the development of the public administration theory as he unveiled flaws of budgeting system along with other weaknesses of the system. Novice public administrators should be aware of Wildavsky’s approach and ideas to come up with effective decisions.
Herbert Kaufman
When it comes to effective decisions, Herbert Kaufman can be regarded as one of the most influential public administration theorists of the early 1970. The theorist criticized the bureaucratic structure and he advocated decentralization of power (Shafritz & Hyde, 2012). He claimed that decentralization could be beneficial for the government as it could help solve issues in regions more efficiently (Cox et al., 2010).
At the same time, the theorist stressed that decentralization should be only partial as decentralized power is often characterized by violations (Cox et al., 2010). It is important to note that Kaufman’s ideas are very important for the development of public administration theory as he explores one of the most burning issues in the field. The theorist reveals advantages and possible limitations of decentralization of power.
Conclusion
On balance, it is possible to note that Anthony Downs, Aaron Wildavsky and Herbert Kaufman provided valuable insights into the nature of public administration. The theorists considered such issues as bureaus life cycles, efficiency of the government and possible advantages of decentralization of power. These are some of the most disputable issues in the field.
Reference List
Cox, R.W., Buck, S.J., & Morgan, B.N. (2010). Public administration in theory and practice. New York, NY: Longman Publishing Group.
Shafritz, J.M., & Hyde, A.C. (2012). Classics of public administration. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.