public administration

Introduction
History
- Early systems
- Modern developments
  - Prussia
  - France
  - The British Empire
  - The United States
  - The Soviet Union
  - China
  - Japan
  - Developing nations
Principles of public administration
- The classical definition
- Recent interpretations
  - Responses to incrementalism
  - Public policy approach
- Education and training

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External Websites

National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Understanding the Role of Public Administration in Implementing Action on the Social Determinants of Health and Health Inequities
UA Pressbooks - Public Administration: University of Arkansas Edition - Public Administration: The Basics
IOPscience - IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering - The Social Consequences of Innovations in Public Administration

public administration

political science

Also known as: government administration

Written by

Edward C. Page

Sidney and Beatrice Webb Professor of Public Policy, London School of Economics. Author of Political Authority and Bureaucratic Power.

Edward C. PageAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 17, 2026 •History

public administration, the implementation of government policies. Today public administration is often regarded as including also some responsibility for determining the policies and programs of governments. Specifically, it is the planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and controlling of government operations. Public administration is a feature of all nations, whatever their system of government. Within nations public administration is practiced at the central, intermediate, and local levels. Indeed, the relationships between different levels of government within a...

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