The Importance of the Study of State Administration
State administrations have many different definitions from one another, according to their scope and focus. Even so, if the state administration is compared to other social organizations, it will soon be revealed that the state administration has special things which are not owned by other organizations. Caiden (1982) points out the seven specificities of state administration, viz
The presence of the state administration is inevitable.
The State Administration expects compliance.
State Administration has priority.
State Administration has exceptions.
The top management of the State Administration is politics.
The appearance of the State Administration is difficult to measure
More hope is placed on State Administration
State Administration Identification
Identification of the state administration, according to Gerald E. Caiden, can be done through the following five ways:
Government administration identification.
b. Identification of public organizations.
c. Identify the orientation of administrative attitudes.
d. Identify specific processes.
e. Identification of public aspects
State administration cannot be identified only on the basis of one of the following four indicators: government administration, public organizations, administrative attitudes and specific processes.
Five identifications contain elements of a general nature, namely: state administration shows communal activities that are publicly organized, in political direction, and operate according to public rules.
The Role of State Administration
The importance of the study of State administration is related to the fact that life becomes meaningless, except with activities that are public. All matters relating to the conduct of public activities have been included in the understanding of the administration of the State, particularly in reviewing public policy.
In the development process as a consequence of the view that the State administration is the driving force of development, the State administration helps to improve administrative capabilities. That is, in addition to providing skills in the fields of procedure, engineering, and mechanics, administrative studies will provide scientific provisions on how to organize all social energy and conduct evaluations of activities.
Thus, the determination of public policy, both in the stages of formulation, implementation, evaluation, and termination, is always associated with aspects of productivity, practicality, wisdom, economics and appreciation of the applicable value system.
The role of the State administration is increasingly needed in the nature of globalization which emphasizes the principle of free competition. Politically, the role of the State administration is to maintain the stability of the State, both in terms of territorial integrity and political integrity. Economically, the role of the State administration is to guarantee the ability of the national economy to face and overcome global competition.
Identity crisis
The identity crisis experienced by the state administration, according to Henry (1995: 21), revolves around the issue of how the state administration views itself in the past. The detailed identity crisis in question shows that:
The identity crisis faced by the State administration has led to the absence of an agreement on the administration of the State as a science or not.
Any knowledge can be seen as a science if it meets the following two measures:
Have a theoretical paradigm
Have a core theory
Nicholas Henry points out that there are five paradigms of State administration consisting of:
Political-administrative dichotomy (1900-1927)
Administrative principles (1927-1937)
State Administration as a political science (1950-until now)
State Administration as an administrative science (1956-1970)
State Administration as State administration (1970-until now).
State Administration can be seen as an eclectic multi-disciplinary study because many concepts are borrowed from other sciences.
Relationship of State Administration with other sciences
State administration, as a branch of social science, lives in a certain social environment, so that the realization of its activities is always closely related to various branches of social science, especially with the history of science, cultural anthropology, economics, business administration, psychology, sociology and political science.
The State administration perspective will be more easily expressed by using historical analysis and cultural anthropology. The use of cultural anthropological analysis will complement historical analysis.
Economics gives an analysis of costs and benefits, while the commercial administration contributes the concept of PPBS and the meaning of the Scientific Management Movement to the state administration. While psychology helps to understand individuals in administrative situations.
Sociology has provided in-depth enhancements to bureaucracy and co-optation, which are very prominent in the study of State administration.