How do public policy and public administration programs differ?
Public administration, developed in the early 1900s, is a special field of study within the academic discipline of political science. It emphasizes the structure and operation of bureaucracies and organizations, including budgeting, personnel, and formal and informal internal controls. Some public administration programs include study of the special management skills required in governmental (as distinct from private) organizations. Public policy is a newer field, developed in the late 1960s, whose theories and methods draw upon a variety of disciplines, such as economics, political science, statistics, and other social sciences. Its central focus is on the environment, substance, and effects of policies. Within that context, bureaucracies and organizations are examined as major sites for policy formulation, advocacy and implementation. Both public policy and public administration programs are relevant to the broad profession known generally as public management. More information about
