Political-Administrative Dichotomy: Its Sources, Logic and Debates

Abstract

Since its birth in Europe in the 19th century, the theory of political-administrative dichotomy has come into maturity via the help of Wilson and Goodnow. As the theoretical cornerstone of Public Administration, political-administrative dichotomy has a profound historical root, and yet still provoked vehement arguments and confrontations. This article tries to present a line of argument about the identity of public administration at large, as well as that embedded in Chinese context, by articulating both the historical background and theoretical course, and the famous criticism of public administration by Waldo. Our conclusion is that in China’s context, we can never properly understand governance environment and logic in China if we over-estimate the separation and distinction of politics and administration.