U.S. Public Administration in a Globalizing World

Introduction

The concept of public administration is central to good governance in any democratic society. O'Toole and Hanf (2002) famously stated that "For many dimensions of U.S. public administration, then, and for multiple levels of domestic governance, there are implications for regulation and management, organizational structuring, human resources management, and budgeting and finance. Influences are mutual and multidirectional. The nation-state remains vigorous in the emerging pattern of governance, but America has clearly entered a system of broader and more complex influence. Further, U.S. administration is significant in the globalizing world, even if it is undeniably altered in crucial respects" (p. 166). This statement is undoubtedly true.

Before examining the implications of U.S. public administration on domestic governance — and how it impacts organizational structuring, regulation and management, and budgeting and finance — it is worth establishing why O'Toole and Hanf (2002) were correct in asserting that U.S. administration is significant in the globalizing world.

The Significance of U.S. Administration in the Globalizing World

The work of Hou et al. (2011) clearly indicated that globalization has posed profound challenges to public administration in both theory and practice, at levels previously unimagined. Major policy initiatives that cross national boundaries cannot be resolved without one essential ingredient: international collaboration. Indeed, Hou et al. noted that even purely domestic issues are better understood and addressed by adopting a global perspective. For advancements in public administration theory to be realized, scholars and practitioners must examine issues that occur across ethnodemographic and national boundaries in order to comprehend phenomena that are context-specific.

Increasingly, U.S. public administration operates within a heavily interconnected international system in which local actions and decisions may trigger global repercussions, and vice versa. The fate of Americans and international communities alike depends on the choices made by decision-makers on both sides of this relationship. This interdependence reflects a form of mutualism between domestic and international actors when it comes to policy decisions and their effects on people's lives.

The influence of public administration on local governance can be seen in the multidirectional relationships that exist among organizational structuring, regulation and management, and budgeting and finance. The U.S. system of public administration has been adopted by various countries owing to its proven efficiency in these areas.

The United Nations (2007) noted that no public administration is perfect. Governments in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and many other countries were compelled, due to high levels of citizen dissatisfaction, to adopt a new system of public administration and governance during the 1980s — a process collectively referred to as New Public Management. This framework required governments to play an important role in achieving sustainable human development and reducing poverty, goals that cannot be accomplished independently.

Effective public administration and governance can only be achieved through cooperation and partnerships at both national and intergovernmental levels. Public administration bodies, civil society, the private sector, and international organizations from various nations must collaborate to achieve good governance (UN, 2007). It is important to note, however, that countries harboring anti-globalization, anti-American, or anti-Western sentiments are most likely to resist such mutual cooperation. These are the circumstances in which the influence of U.S. public administration becomes "undeniably altered in crucial respects," as O'Toole and Hanf (2002) observed.

New Public Management and International Cooperation

In the United States, international obligations are known to direct and influence the level of spending by state and local authorities. The same is true in other pro-globalization states. The law also commits subnational authorities in the U.S. and other pro-Western nations to the international commitments demanded by national authorities. The implication of this arrangement is a likely increase in the involvement of subnational actors in monitoring the development of international agreements and in lobbying national authorities on related matters.

The points discussed above indicate that O'Toole and Hanf's (2002) sentiments on the multidirectional influence of transnational public administration ideologies are indeed correct. Nations must therefore work together and cooperate in order to ensure the achievement of sustainable human development as well as the reduction of poverty among their citizens.

Hou, Y., et al. (2011). The case for public administration with a global perspective. Minnowbrook III: A Special Issue. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 21, i45–i51.

Conclusion

United Nations. (2007). Public administration and democratic governance: Governments serving citizens. 7th Global Forum on Reinventing Government Building Trust in Government, 26–29 June 2007, Vienna, Austria. Retrieved from http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/un/unpan025063.pdf