Evolution of Public Administration (Pols 206)

Introduction

Public administration, as a practice, is as old as the emergence of organized human society — it began when human beings started to settle and live in organized communities and socio-political units. As a formal field of study, however, it is much more recent, having emerged only within the last two and a half centuries or so.

May 24, 1957 - Nigerian Constitutional Conference Opens In London

From Practice to Profession

Initially, public administration was treated as an "art" — something practical, learned through practice and experience, much like farming, building, blacksmithing, or carpentry. In the monarchical period, for example, royal and ruling families paid close attention to training their children in the practice of administration. Children were first exposed to administrative practice by observation, then gradually involved at the lowest levels, and progressively promoted to higher levels of responsibility. Some were eventually sent to leading higher institutions, such as Oxford and Cambridge, for formal instruction in aspects of administration.

Broad Classification

The evolution of public administration can be broadly classified into two major phases:

1. 1800s–1930s

2. 1940s– till date

Conclusion

Public administration therefore reflects a gradual transition — from an inherited, practically-learned art passed down within ruling families, to a formally recognized field of academic and professional study organized around distinct historical phases.