Premium
Public Administration in Norway: a rejoinder
Author(s) -
Hernes HansKristian
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
public administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.313
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1467-9299
pISSN - 0033-3298
DOI - 10.1111/j.0033-3298.2004.00414.x
Subject(s) - norwegian , democracy , politics , administration (probate law) , public administration , corporate governance , political science , democratic governance , state (computer science) , sociology , political economy , economics , law , management , philosophy , linguistics , algorithm , computer science
Public administration studies have had a prominent role in Norwegian political science. Here, I argue for a revitalization of its role based on what gave it prominence – the merger of the rather opposite traditions of organization theory and democratic theory. A new merger between the two, i.e. by bringing discussions of democracy back in, is necessary to understand and discuss principally prominent changes in Norwegian politics and administration where the role of democratic decision making has been reduced. Also, a merger will contribute to the development of new theoretical insights in the current debate over ‘governance’. As it is a goal for public administration to study the whole pattern of the political system it is further argued for a revitalization of the study of the role of interests outside the state, and for a fusion of the separte tables of studies of different levels in politics and administration.