Economics in Administration: New Reform Perspective?

  • Choi, Jeong Youl (Research Center for Local Autonomy and Public Opinion, Pai Chai Univ.) ;
  • Choi, Ho Taek (Research Center for Local Autonomy and Public Opinion, Pai Chai Univ.)
  • Published : 2008.05.01

Abstract

As a seedbed for American Public Administration, Traditional Reform Perspective (TRP) produced Wilsonian formulation of administrative science in modern academic setting. From the beginning of the second half of the twentieth century, ideas were transported into Public Administration scholarship. New Reform Perspective (NRP) entails a belief that these reasonings are largely based on assumptions of Economics. Looking into this belief is a necessary condition, if not a sufficient one, for answering the question: Does NRP hold in the study of administration? This initial reading, though somewhat primitive, tries to set up a proposal for identifying a meaningful context for understanding the situation. As a representative version, Wilson's original perspective must be reconsidered in order to articulate the field of study within traditional reform context. According to NRP, new administrative theories are the results of the influence of economic reasoning into the field of Public Administration. Therefore, rereading of Tiebout's 'Pure Theory' and Ostrom, Tiebout and Warrens's 'Theoretical Inquiry' is a prerequisite to satisfy this particular condition.

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