The scope of political science is vast and experts have divided the field of political science into five sub-disciplines that are political theory, public administration, comparative politics, international relations, and public law.
Political Science and Public Administration are two closely related fields which deal with the scientific study of political and administrative subjects. The discipline of Political Science analyses the processes by which resources are allocated and values are developed and discussed within a political system.
The importance of public administration as a Governmental Instrument. Government's most important function is to rule, i.e. to maintain peace and order as well as protect the lives and property of its citizens. It has to ensure that citizens should obey the contract or agreement and also settle their disputes.
Public administration is neither art nor science course it's a social science course. Public administration is the process of implementing government policy and also an academic discipline that studies this implementation and prepares civil servants for working in the public service.
Broadly speaking, Public Administration embraces all the activities of the government. Hence as an activity the scope of public administration is no less than the scope of state activity. In the modern welfare state people expect many things – a wide variety of services and protection from the government.
Political science is a rigorous discipline that can benefit both legal scholars and lawyers. Public Law—the subfield of political science that studies law and courts—has much to offer in understanding how judges make decisions and how larger political and institutional contexts affect the legal system.
"Economics is the social science concerned with the administration of scarce resources" (Scitovsky) The academic discipline of Public Administration includes many aspects of Economics like Financial Administration, Agriculture, Industrial Administration and Planning, Budgetary process,etc The economists hold high
Defining the MPA is quite difficult and very few people truly understand it. One of the reasons for this is that not many people hold the degree because people often choose the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Secondly, the degree is so broad that it can be difficult to really give it a definition.
The subject is generally regarded as easy and simple to understand. There is ample study material for public administration. The questions are generally straightforward. There is a lot of overlap with the general studies papers.
List of Optional Subjects in UPSC
| Optional Subjects | Number of aspirants appeared | Number of candidates recommended |
|---|
| Public Administration | 3201 | 337 |
| Political Science | 1320 | 85 |
| Geography | 4049 | 236 |
| Sociology | 1555 | 89 |
Books for Public administration for UPSC Mains
- Administrative Thinkers by Prasad and Prasad.
- Indian Public Administration – Arora and Goyal.
- New Horizons of Public Administration – Mohit Bhattacharya.
- Public Administration – Fadia and Fadia.
- Public Administration In India 1st Edition – Maheshwari.
Which optional subjects have the highest success rate in IAS/UPSC exam
| Optional Subject | Candidates Appeared | Success Rate |
|---|
| Agriculture | 220 | 18.6 |
| Medical science | 98 | 16.3 |
| Animal husbandry and veterinary science | 65 | 12.3 |
| Economics | 326 | 11.3 |
The subject with the least syllabus in UPSC is Anthropology.
Now before you think Anthropology is the subject you should choose, let's understand the subject briefly. Anthropology scientifically studies the humans, human behavior and societies of past and present.The highest success rate in the UPSC so far.
- Some aspirants may find the syllabus to be vast.
- The syllabus is more theoretical in nature as compared to other optionals.
- Paper II of Public Administration is highly dynamic and unpredictable.
Administrative Theory (14 Principles of Management):
Division of Work: This principle the same as Adam Smith's 'Division of labour'. Authority: Manager must be able to give the order. Authority gives this right. Discipline: Employees must obey and respect the rules and regulations which governs the organization.Public Administration Theory recently has been divided into three branches. The three branches are, Classical Public Administration Theory, New Public Management Theory and Postmodern Public Administration Theory. Each of these three branches study Public Administration from a different perspective.
Public Administration: An Art or a Science. At a first glance it seems easier to accept public administration as an art. It is just the administration of Government affairs and for most part it does not follow the laws of Science like absence of normative value, predictability of behavior and universal application.
To apply for Public Administration as a UTME candidate, you require: Five SSCE credit passes including English Language, Mathematics, Economics and two other relevant subjects.
A well-functioning public administration requires a professional civil service, efficient procedures for policy and legislative development, well-defined accountability arrangements between institutions and citizens as well as among institutions, ability of the administration to efficiently deliver services to citizens
New Public Administration is an anti-positivist, anti-technical, and anti-hierarchical reaction against traditional public administration. Focus is on the role of government and how it can provide these services to citizens who are a part of the public interest, by means of, but not limited to, public policy.
Legal Definitions of Public Administration Public administration is regulation. It is government telling citizens and businesses what they may or may not do. Regulation is one of the oldest functions of government.
Definition. Professionalism is one of the core values of public administration. In considering its essence and prestigious nature with vision and stewardship of public funds and information, it becomes a profession. There are three essential items to be a profession like knowledge, skill, and license.
