행정학 위기론을 통해 본 행정학의 전망

Abstract

Beginning with Woodrow Wilson, public administration has been studied as an independent discipline apart from politics; however, there have been many controversies and much skepticism about true independency. This study takes the point of view that the identity crisis in public administration has contributed to the development of steps for further study rather than shrinking the study by providing opportunities for self-reflection. Since public administration is practice-oriented, comprehensive, and entails values, it cannot be totally independent of politics. Also, as those in public administration pursue instrumental rationality, it cannot be altogether distinguished from economics or business administration and these are the background factors related to identity crisis. Due to these factors, the New Public Management (NPM) and Governance, which was based on economics and politics, respectively, has driven public administration into crisis since the 1980s. However, public administration began to reach maturity by responding to those challenges. As for Korea, the crisis has deepened due to the public administration community that has expanded its influence under the military government, the cultural discrepancy between Korea and America, and a neoliberalism wave which was introduced as an ideological movement for the purpose of governmental innovation since the Non-military Regime. In that sense, it is needed for Korean public administration to identify the assumptions of public administration scholars who are ideal for the Korean situation; to study relevant values and norms for Korea; to develop creative management skills for public administration that integrate the logic of the market and that of politics; and, to study all research that can enhance understanding and recognition of public issues.