Artikel

Het openbaar ambt als object van wetenschappelijk onderzoek

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Abstract

Public administration as a research matter - In this article the author tries to give a short survey of the arise and evolution of scientific research of Public Administration. Introductory is pointed out the problem of the gap between public administration as it works and the increasing task of government in the 20th century welfare state. The second part is an investigation of how Belgian public authority itself tackled the problem. It has emerged that the endless series of commissions did not help to a total and systematic approach. The cooperation between universities and administration for the study of Public Administration is discussed in a third part. It is remarkable that the incentive to this was given by business circles. The fourth part gives the evolution of scientific research in Public Administration. A separate discussion of American and European investigation seemed necessary. In the U. S. we can distinguish three basic trends : a) After Woodrow Wilson’s example public administration is considered in order to promote and introduce improvements (goal oriented research). The study was limited to the structural aspects of Public Administration. b) Between the two world wars a reaction arose against that structural concept. Under the influence of business administration a behavioristic approach of Public Administration was purchased. The results and methods of other social disciplines were introduced. c) Since 1958 attempts were made in order to obtain a synthesis of the previous approaches. In Europe Public Administration was and still is mainly studied in Law Faculties. As a result, legal aspects were especially stressed (Administrative law). Only since the last ten years specific studies of Public Administration have been undertaken. The last part of the article treats what doctrine thinks about eventual autonomy of a Public Administration Science. Some speak of on autonomous Public Administration Science which should be closely related to other disciplines of which it has borrowed some results and methods. Others 293 pretend that the study of Public Administration is nothing but part of different other disciplines that treat the “administrative phenomenon” from their different viewpoints. A third trend classifies the study of Public Administration under Political Science. Finally, the viewpoints of Langrod and Golembiewski regarding the problem of the autonomy of a Public Administration Science are analysed.

How to Cite:

Provoost, G., (1968) “Het openbaar ambt als object van wetenschappelijk onderzoek”, Tijdschrift voor Sociale Wetenschappen 13(3), 293–318. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/tvsw.95803