Public administration and the American Constitution

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the origin and nature of modern "public administration" and its relationship to the American Constitution. In Chapters I and II, I discuss the birth and growth of bureaucracy. I argue that the growth of the national bureaucracy has occurred in response to the claim that America is not "just." Modern day public administrators see themselves as the champions of the underclass; for they wield their strong regulatory arm in alleviating America's suffering and inequities. Through public administration, the end of government is seen in terms of social equality: an end opposed by traditional American politics.;In Chapter III, I make comparisons between the moral foundations of bureaucracy as discussed by John Rohr and the moral foundations of the American republic articulated by the Founders.;The Federalist understanding of the American founding is examined in Chapter IV. The problem of tyranny as explicated by the Founders is also addressed. Specifically, the threat of tyranny is ignored by contemporary academics and politicians. Proponents of modern public administration argue that the American polity has "progressed" into being a powerful and efficient democratic machine.;Finally, in Chapter V, the question of bureaucratic accountability is addressed. One asks: to whom does the modern day public administrator owe his allegiance--to the executive? Congress? The courts? Or to the people themselves? One discovers that no branch has complete control over the bureaucracy. A discussion of the energy and efficiency of government is coupled with a comment on Tocqueville's understanding of public administration.;While the debate continues between those in favor of centralized public administration and those who argue otherwise, one fact is irrefutable: the bureaucratization of the American regime is occurring. This paper attempts to address some of the problems resulting from this bureaucratization. In short, I consider the question: Is the bureaucratization of America in keeping with the intention of the Founders to promote the common good?...