Public administration deals with relationships between state, civil society, and non-government actors. The development of public administration theories has experienced several historical stages, including classical, modern, and postmodern theories. Under various contexts, public administration may carry various features and imply deeper political meanings. The big problem in the field of public administration is not that we lack theory; the problem is one of surfeit rather than deficit. Thus, this course makes special reference to the development of public administration theories and the latest directions.Upon successful completion of this course, students will be guided to: 1) Uncover the nature of public administration through the lenses of theories; 2) Understand the key concepts of public administration and be able to analyze institutional factors of policies and public administration process; 3) Grasp the rational of bureaucratic system and policy process; and 4) Get to know the major issues in the development of theories of public administration and apply the theories into the analysis/evaluation of real-life public policies.
A. Evaluate public administration in its historic, theoretical and comparative development as a field of research and as a discipline. B. Demonstrate the knowledge of the main actors in public administration, such as the state, citizens, and the non-government sectors and their interactions under the bureaucratic system. C. Understand the recent trends in the development of theories of Public Administration and may analyze real-life policies in Greater China with the theories. D. Appraise and apply theories and concepts of public administration in the interpretation of management reforms, which may include political accountability, state capacity, responsive government, equity, executive agencies, performance evaluation, private sector involvement, etc. E. Work effectively as a team to discuss and present a certain significant policy with given theories and conduct analytical work independently on the previously mentioned topics in public administration.
The course consists of lectures followed by seminars. The lectures will focus on critically analysing the basic theories of public administration and their application to different contexts. During the lectures, students are encouraged to actively exchange ideas and raise questions about the topic(s) under discussion. The seminars will help students to review the concepts and theories acquired in lectures to real-life current issues.