The Repositioning of American Public Administration Article Summary Essay

The Repositioning of American Public Administration Article Summary - Essay Example This is in response to the new social, economic, and political conditions primarily caused by the increasing irrelevance of national or state boundaries as well as the gradual reduction of state dominance over public affairs. At the basis of such observation is the perspective that public administration is in a continuous process of distancing from â€Å"theories and concepts of the clash of interests, of electoral and interest group competition, of games, and of winners and losers† (Frederickson, 1999, p.702). Instead it is on the path of embracing concepts of â€Å"cooperation, networking, governance, and institution building and maintenance.† This is how Frederickson observes and predicts the current trend of repositioning of American public administration. The main external condition that prompts the said repositioning is that the state has lost much of its power over the subjects and over other institutions in society. Apparently, it has become disarticulated and fragmented. This means that the boundaries between nations are being made inconsequential as trading and economic ties have become the principal basis of international relations instead of agreements on territorial jurisdictions and other political aspects. The barriers between the public and the government, with the usual setup that the latter has administrative control over the former, are also in the process of elimination. Public administration is now also the concern of non-government organizations and other institutions that are not in any way related to the government. A number of these changes may have been mere responses to new situations without the benefit of deeper scrutiny and eventual legislation. However, in the US, the process of repositioning is also gradual ly being enshrined through the creation of laws regarding such changes. The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 is one