The purpose of this research is to review the book by Nicholas Henry, entitled Public Administration and Public Affairs (1995). This review will analyze the central themes of the work and address its strengths and weaknesses.
Henry begins by explaining the role of public bureaucracy and public administration in democratic society. He notes that bureaucracy and democracy are in fact antithetical. Bureaucracy tends to be hierarchical in nature and elitist. Democracy, on the other hand, tends to be egalitarian in nature. But in order for a democratic society to function properly, the bureaucracy and democracy must be reconciled (p. 1). Bureaucracy represents the technological elite, the body of persons skilled in how to get things done. The democratic mass is charged with determining the direction of public policy, but it is the skilled bureaucracy that carries the know-how to implement the policy in an efficient and productive manner.
The larger the democratic society, the larger and more specialized the public bureaucracy that is needed (pp. 4-5). There are three leading models of why government grows in size and complexity. One model is known as "political pluralism." The pluralist model posits that society is comprised of a number of competing groups with a broad range of interests. This means that demands for government services are high and a national bureaucracy is necessary to reconcile these demands. A second model is known as the "displacement/concentration hypothesis." This model emphasizes the economic aspects of government growth, arguing that social disturbances create the need for new government programs to alleviate the problems. Finally, a model of government growth known as "technobureaucracy" provides some valuable insights. It holds that bureaucracy is the inevitable political expression of technology. The growth in technical efficiency means a growth in bureaucracy. All three models complement each other.
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