Public Administration | Structure, Functions And Characteristics

We explain what the Public Administration is and its main functions. Also, what are its characteristics, its structure and more.

What is public administration?

The Public Administration is the set of state agencies and officials that is responsible for the implementation of government policies to guarantee social welfare. It is a characteristic of every nation, whatever its system of government .

Public Administration is governed by a bureaucratic structure , that is, with a division of tasks that are carried out under the orders of a hierarchical control that is supported by a system of laws and regulations . The scope of their actions has repercussions in the public and private sphere of a country.

Characteristics of the Public Administration

Among the main characteristics of the Public Administration are:

• It is regulated by the Executive Power , so its performance is subject to a system of laws and regulations.
• It is organized with a bureaucratic structure and under the command of a hierarchical control.
• Manages and administers state agencies to provide services that meet the needs of the population and the nation.
• Its function is to guarantee the common welfare of people and to enforce the law of their country.
• It is financed through capital raised through taxes .
• It is based on the principles of honesty, efficiency, transparency, responsibility and accountability .

Objective of the Public Administration

The objective of the Public Administration is to administer and manage in a skillful and transparent manner the resources of the State, both material and human, so that it can satisfy the fundamental needs of society .

State resources are made up of assets and assets collected from the population of a country and, therefore, are called public resources.

Through the Public Administration, the State is in charge of collecting, organizing and redistributing public resources so that the population has everything they need to live and develop in a dignified way.

The public Administration, which is regulated by the Executive Power, regulates the activities of citizens, through social and tax regulations, and of the private sectors, through economic and tax regulations.

Structure of the Public Administration

The Public Administration is based on a bureaucratic structure organized in different areas , such as ministries, secretariats and other specialized organizations according to the task to be carried out.

Each area is governed by a representative who is appointed by the government of the day and who must maintain the line of command established for the entire area. The bureaucratic system allows the same methodology and procedures to be implemented in the different areas, with the aim of providing the same service to all of society.

The disadvantage that the bureaucratic system usually has is the slowness of response to emergency situations or the lack of capacity to adapt to exceptional or new situations that may arise.

The above content published at Collaborative Research Group is for informational and educational purposes only and has been developed by referring reliable sources and recommendations from experts. We do not have any contact with official entities nor do we intend to replace the information that they emit.