Government, Governance and Politics

Government and Governance

• "Government" and "governance" are often used interchangeably to mean exercising power within an organization, institution, or state.
• Government is the entity that exercises authority.
• Authority is legitimate power.
• Power is the ability to influence behavior, and authority is the right to do so.
• Authority relies on acknowledged duty, not coercion or manipulation.
• Effective governance ensures transparent and fair decisions that benefit stakeholders, emphasizing the role of politics.

Politics

• Politics includes activities, actions, and debates involving governance, power, and decision-making in a society.
• Politics covers elections, policymaking, advocacy, lobbying, and the operation of governmental institutions.
• Politics happens at local, national, and international levels.

Concept of Politics

• Politics is where politicians use skills to fulfill their duties and satisfy citizens.
• Politics concerns powers that shape and alter the direction of the state, with misuse leading to failure to meet citizen needs.
• Power is vital in homes, churches, marketplaces, and schools.
• Politics deals with the relationship between rulers and the ruled.
• A society has those assigned to rule and those who submit.
• The governed group must be satisfied while the other rules.
• All political actions involve power as a way to exert influence and control.
• Not all power relationships are political, such as parent-child or teacher-student relationships.
• Politics, as defined by Harold Lasswell, emphasizes how resources are distributed by the state.

Politics and Resource Distribution

• Politics determines how resources are allocated and who receives specific resources.
• Some critics argue that resource distribution alone doesn't define politics.
• The question of resource allocation is likely to emerge when two or more people gather, especially when they share the same goal.

Politics as Allocation of Values

• Politicians use their office power, control, and influence.
• Their office lets them allocate values/resources to citizens.
• The distribution of values/resources is not always enough to define politics.

Politics as State Power

• Leaders have certain powers because of their position.
• The power a president holds is different than that of a religious leader.
• Only politicians have state power politics.

Politics as Government

• Politics involves how political power is structured, exercised, and regulated in society.

Administration

• Administration is about day-to-day management to reach a goal.
• It involves caring for people and managing affairs, with functions like planning, organizing, directing, staffing, coordinating, and reporting (PODSCORB).

Politics-Administration Dichotomy

• The dichotomy separates public administration and maintains the relationship between elected officials and administrators.
• Organizations have policymakers (politicians) and implementers (administrators).
• Policy is what the government wants to do or not do based on political factors.
• Administration implements these policies.
• Administration is how public policy is realized.

Differences Between Politics and Administration

• Politics uses state power or the science of governing.
• Politicians determine what should be done.
• Politicians are in charge of decision-making.
• Politics involves elected representatives and voters.
• Politics is changeable and unpredictable.
• Political influence affects appointments and elections.
• Politicians are not restricted by conventions.
• Administrators use technical skills to execute decisions.
• Administrators are protected from political pressures.

Key Figures in the Politics-Administration Dichotomy

• Woodrow Wilson and Max Weber are key scholars behind this concept.
• Wilson viewed administration as separate from politics.
• Weber emphasized bureaucrats maintaining neutrality in decision-making.
• The Orthodox view says that administrators should be apolitical when implementing policies.

Modified View of Dichotomy

• It is also known as New Public Administration (NPA) or Post-Behavioral Approach.
• It emerged as a response to the limitations of the Orthodox view.
• It challenges the strict separation between politics and administration.
• Offers a more nuanced view of bureaucracy in governance.
• It is harder to separate policy-making and administration.

Evolving Perspectives on Administration

• John Pfiffer stated that administrative officers should have a role in policy creation.
• Administrators can participate in policy with a distinction from external influences.
• The modified dichotomy allows administrators to provide policy leadership to elected officials.
• Elected officials should allow professional administrators to handle execution and management.

Key Features of the Modified View

• It supports administrator involvement in policy-making.
• Council members are prohibited from interfering in government management.
• Recognizes that politics and administration are interconnected.
• Administrators have a greater impact on policy-making.

Partnership Model in Politics and Administration

• Administrators engage in policy-making.
• Elected officials participate in administration, including implementing and executing laws.
• Represents a shift from rigidity to a flexible governance model.
• This promotes democratic values, citizen engagement, and collaborative governance.

Interdependence in Politics and Administration

• It emphasizes the interdependence and mutual support.
• The separation is not distinct, but rather complementary.
• Svara is a key scholar.
• Elected and appointed officials influence each other.
• Politics and administration are essential subsystems within the larger political system.

Acknowledging Dr. Raul P. De Guzman

• Dr. Raul P. De Guzman stimulated interest in comparative research on bureaucratic corruption.
• He initiated projects that contributed to literature on:
  • Bureaucratic corruption
  • The conduct of elections
• The study on bureaucratic corruption identifies and analyzes causes, control measures, and consequences of a lack of administrative accountability.

Elements of The Election Study

• Focuses on election administration, political party systems, and the role of bureaucracy and citizen movements.
• Examines the integrity of the electoral process and political accountability.

Study Objectives

• Public accountability is central to democracy.
• Highlights the connection between politics and administration.
• Defines that citizenry grants power to elected leaders who make decisions for them.
• Civil servants are accountable to ministers.
• Analyzes the Philippine experience using historical and secondary sources.
• Examines the relationship between political leaders and the bureaucracy.
• Asses the extent to which this relationship affects the political an administrative accountability.

Shriram Maheshwari's Perspective on Accountability

• Has two facets:
  • Political accountability: The executive is answerable to parliament.
  • Administrative accountability: Executives hold departments and public agencies accountable.

Accountability: Cariño's Perspective

• Accountability stems from stewardship and democratic principles.
• Elected officials are judged through elections.
• Appointed officials answer to government through hierarchy.
• Democratic governments enforce accountability through elections, recall, and referendums.
• Administrative officials respond to elected officials.
• Interacting with the public makes administrative officials accountable for service quality.

Political vs. Administrative Accountability

• Political accountability covers relationship between people and their elected officials.
• This ensures that bureaucracy carries out a government programs effectively.
• Administrative accountability ensures appointed officials answer to leaders and public.
• They have a responsibility to delivering authorized programs.
• Accountability refers to how people use their authority to promote public welfare.

Ensuring Responsible Exercise of Power

• Herman Finer outlined these doctrines for ensuring officials exercise power responsibly:
  • Officials should be responsible to those whose desires they represent
  • Need an elected body to exercise power
  • Give public institutions power to influence government
• Democratic accountability is a mix of political and administrative.
• Governments bodies are responsible to leaders.
• Ministries are accountable to legislature.
• Governments and institutional bodies are accountable to political leaders in democratic systems.

Factors Affecting Corruption & Accountability

• Leadership deters corruption.
• Factors include monitoring tools for employee and internal systems to limit official-transactions.
• Political leaders need to set the standard for public accountability.
• The Philippine history of elite politics has weakened public ethics.

Impact of Elite-Dominated Politics

• Politics here have been controlled by elite families.
• There consequences of political domination over civil service where neutrality and efficiency is compromised.
• Bureaucracy has become an instrument for elites over those who serve the public.

Corruption in the Philippines

• Each government is under corruption allegations
• Even with honest workers, corruption at the top is still prominent.
• Corruption leaders formal government structures.

Genuine Public Participation

• Philippine Human Development Report highlights the following barriers:
  • Elite dominance in setting the political agenda
  • Vote buying and selling distort true public preference
  • Scarcity of public resource
  • Lack of meaningful and meaningful education

Key Themes of Genuine Public Participation

• The power of the government must be limited.
• Those in charge need to listen to higher powers to see if they are using power properly.
• Influence official through mechanisms such as elections.
• Decentralization under the Local Government Code can help public accountability.
• Bureaucracy can assert independence from politics due to constitutional provisions.

Future Hope

• People's watch group can challenge parochial politics.
• Greater public engagement can enhance the nation's interest.