Public Administration

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Introduction

According to Kettl Donald, public administration is a process used to implement public policy by public servants to ensure effective and efficient results. According to his argument, whereas legislators form the policy framework used by public servants, they have little control of implementation process, which is because governments in power make amendments to political needs (Kettl, 2014). In addition, Kettl argues that politicians are bound to please the voting population; this is because the voters are their employers. Consequently, oversight in public administration, therefore, becomes a challenge in an attempt to satisfy the voters based on religion, tribes or voting blocks, and political financiers (Kettl, 2014). For this reason, this paper seeks to establish several reasons that hinder political, presidential, executive, or judicial oversights of the public administration and some implications of such barriers on concepts of responsibility and accountability in the public administration.

Political Financiers

Politics is expensive hence; very few people can finance a political campaign alone. On the other hand, those willing to finance politics expect to be granted political favors once they are in power. Despite attempts by some developed democracies to limit the amount of funding one can receive from private entities, requirement for such disclosure politics is still expensive and even being able to convince such entities to raise funds on uncertain affair is still difficult. Political favors are the biggest impediments to the oversight of public administration. Additionally, politicians who are mostly bound to support political parties that sponsored them to such bodies make it difficult to perform their oversight roles; they also head most oversight bodies like parliaments. Politicians are also in an advantaged legal position to limit powers of independent oversight bodies through legal legislations or through budget limitations to curb their ability (Kettl, 2014). Oversight agents are dependent on security and other government controlled agencies, which are easily compromised by political financiers thereby limiting public administration accountability. On the same line, politicians have resulted in giving some government departments with immunities against oversight especially the police departments and security agents. This has caused frustrations in oversight agents while accessing important documentations to enable them perform their roles. While security agents are low enforcers, they are accountable to the ruling governments hence in most cases politicians use them to create hindrance to oversight roles (Kettl, 2014). Law enforcers have also a preconceived mentality that they are more qualified in oversight roles because of their experience in law enforcement matters.

Religion

This is one of the most controversial topics where political leaders have to take certain political positions on religious issues. In some jurisdictions, constitutions are based on certain religious believes where oversight in public administration is based on faith rather than a constitutionally mandated agency (Kettl, 2014). This has most a times led to creation of dictatorial governments that are never checked. Whereas religion is part of morality, oversight roles should be left to other agencies, which are empowered to do independent oversight.

Voting Blocks

In most countries, voting patterns are based on unique needs from different voting blocks. In an attempt by politicians to get swing votes, certain favors are given to different voting blocs especially the minority groups and the middle-income groups. Most governments usually make pre-election pledges some of which are not realistic (Kettl, 2014). This has led to difficulties both political and administrative while forming citizens’ oversight committees.

Reference

Kettl, D. F. (2014). The Politics of the Administrative Process. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.