Power and Administration by Norton E. Long
Power and Administration by Norton E. Long
Introduction
In this article Norton E Long (1949) has explored a number of issues concerning administration and power. According to him power is the most significant element in administration. The main argument of Long (1949) is that, for there to be efficient administration there must be a concentration of adequate powers in the administrative organ. Long (1949) has addressed issues such as; lack of concentration of power, politics in administration and distribution of power.
Importance of Concentration of Power in Administration
Long (1949) argues that though the authority provided by laws and finances are important in administration, they are not sufficient. For administration to be effective there must be a consideration of all forces that influence the powers to administrate. This calls for an analysis of sources that derive power and the hindrances presented by these forces. According to Long (1949), the American political system has not been able to separate administrative issues from politics as there is no clear source of power.
The power at the top is divided between three arms; the executive, legislature and judiciary. In order to perform their duties, these administrative organs have to play trade offs with each other. This creates loopholes for introduction of political interests into governance. This system provides no mandate for leadership as there is no clear distinction of which is the source of power. Long argues that, lack of a clear source of power does not provide a conducive atmosphere for consensus on issues that should be tackled administratively.
Another critical administrative element that has been presented by Long (1949) is the existence of a system that ensures a balanced distribution of power among the various agents/ organs of administration (health, education, commerce among others). The bureaucracies involved at the top of the American political system does not allow for a clear distinction of the roles and powers that administrative agencies should hold. The political system has failed to provide a clear cut decision on what the administration agencies should do and has also failed to provide them with the powers to act independently despite their competence and technical capabilities in their relevant fields.
Long (1949) argument that, concentration of power is necessary to ensure good administration is valid. Concentration of power will ensure that agents of administration are not subject to political manipulation and interest. Concentration of power will also ensure that the role of administrative agencies are clear and that only important issues are tackled at cheaper costs as a result of reduced bureaucracy. However, there are also valid reasons for maintaining a system that ensures separation of power.
Long (1949) argument is based on the assumption that administrative agents are bound to use the power assigned to them positively. However, there are real possibilities that so much power concentrated in a single organ is more prone to abuse and therefore there is a need to ensure separation. This is what the American political system was designed to achieve.
Conclusion
Long (1949) has emphasized the need to have concentration of power under one organ in order to ensure good administration. According to him the current separation of power system has exposed leadership issues to political manipulation and interest. However, it has been noted that Long has overlooked the importance of this separation of power. Though the separation of power has brought about bureaucracy and politicization of administrative issues, it has ensured that there is no abuse of power.
References
Long Norton (1949). Power and Administration. Public Administration Review. 9 (4), 257- 264
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