Public administration as a historical phenomenon

models and key concepts

Abstract

Public Administration has theoretically constituted itself through general models of administration that historically succeed one another, but in practice overlap, conflict, and coexist. The project of "rationalization," deemed necessary for the  development of capitalist society and the modern state, appears consolidated in the realm of Administration and Public Law as an established discourse. However, a history of Public Administration can reveal a different character for public organizations: capable of sustaining the coexistence between highly bureaucratic models and deeply patrimonial practices. To achieve this theoretical revision, which will enable a critical perspective on the current realities and theories in public organizations, and given that the main concepts of Public Administration are routinely used unreflectively, the historical perspective can
best serve as the basis for reflecting on these key concepts, which are fundamental for understanding organizations.