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The Evolution of Public Administration in American Society Essay

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Public administration as a field of study and as a practice has continually evolved with American society. The United States has survived and thrived through major cultural shifts, varying degrees of economic climates, and both civil and world wars. Through out all these changes in our country, one thing has always remained the same, the fact that we are an ever evolving and always changing nation. Theories and forms of practice of public administration have also evolved parallel with the history of the United States. There have been numerous events in American history have lead to changes in society and the practice of public administration has both led and followed in the adaptation process of such monumental changes.

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The collection, Papers on the Science of Administration, saw the arrival of Gulick’s well-known mnemonic POSDCORB, which stands for his idea of the seven major functions of management. The United States government grew exponentially during the 1930’s and 1940’s. Large-scale government programs, such as the Work Projects Administration and the Social Security Administration, which were aimed at pulling the nation out of the Great Depression, were created during this time period. It was also during this time period that the President’s Committee on Administrative Management, or commonly called the Brownlow Committee convened. The Brownlow Committee made sweeping recommendations regarding the administrative organization of the office of the President. These recommendations ultimately led to the creation of the Executive Office of the President. (Shafritz, Russell, & Borick, 2011, pg. 100-102) During the following decades the nation then experienced a period of prosperity and continued expansion. Correspondingly, the field of public administration and government, in general, continued to grow in power and scope.

The 1960’s and 1970’s ushered in an era of change across every segment of American society. The Civil Rights Era, the protests of the war in Vietnam and the burgeoning counter-culture movement revolutionized the thoughts, values and principles of American society. A revolution

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