Public Administration is the implementation of government policies, managing public resources and delivering services to citizens through effective governance, bureaucracy and leadership ensuring efficient, equitable and accountable public management.

Evolution of Public Administration –

1. Beginnings (18th-19th centuries) laid public administration’s foundation influenced by political philosophy, economics and law, shaping governance and bureaucracy.
2. Orthodoxy (1880s-1920s) established public administration’s core principles emphasizing efficiency, hierarchy and administrative theory led by pioneers like Weber and Taylor.
3.  New Deal (1930s-1940s) transformed public administration expanding government intervention, emphasizing social welfare, policy implementation and administrative reform led by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
4.  Administrative State (1940s-1950s) solidified public administration as a distinct field focusing on organizational theory, management and bureaucratic professionalism.
5. Behavioral Era (1950s-1960s) shifted public administration’s focus to human behavior, organizational dynamics and social sciences emphasizing individual motivations and interactions.
6. Public Choice Theory (1960s-1970s) analyzed bureaucratic decision making ,introducing economic rationality and critiquing government inefficiency promoting market based solutions and accountability.
7. New Public Management (1980s-1990s) introduced market oriented reforms emphasizing decentralization, privatization, performance measurement and customer focused service delivery.
8. Governance and Collaborative Governance (1990s-2000s) emphasized networked partnerships, community engagement and cross sector collaboration fostering participatory decision making.
9. Digital Governance (2000s-present) leverages technology, enhancing transparency, accountability and citizen engagement through e-government, open data and digital service delivery.
10. Contemporary Public Administration (2010s-present) integrates innovative practices, addressing complexity, diversity and global challenges through agile governance, co-creation and evidence based policy.

Public administration evolved significantly transforming from rigid bureaucracy to flexible, citizen centric governance, embracing innovation, collaboration and technological advancements efficiently.