Managerial，Political，and Legal Approaches
Public administration involves a number of complex concerns and functions.Not surprisingly，therefore，as an intellectual discipline or body or theory，public administration lacks coherence.Public administration contains three relatively distinct approaches that grow out of different perspectives on its functions.Some have viewed it as a managerial endeavor，similar to practices in the private sector.Others，stressing the“publicness”of public administration，have emphasized its political aspects.Still others，noting the importance of sovereignty，constitution，and regulation in public administration，have viewed it as a distinctly legal matter.Each of these approaches tends to stress different values and procedural and structural arrangements for the operation of public administration，each views the citizen in a remarkably different way，and each adopts a different perspective on how to develop the knowledge.The managerial approach is associated with the executive branch's interest in faithful execution or implementation of the law.The political approach is associated with legislative policymaking concerns.The legal approach focuses on government's adjudicatory function，commitment to maintaining constitutional rights，and the rule of law.The administrative law，the judiciary values such as procedural due process，[3]equity and the protection of substantive constitutional rights of individual are the main interrelated sources of the legal approach.(https://www.daowen.com)
Public administration is a highly complicated endeavor.It embodies at least the three approaches above.Each of these approaches emphasizes values，organizational arrangements，views of the individuals，and intellectual orientations sometimes at odds with those of the others.The public administration is called upon to be a manager，policymaker，and constitutional lawyer.It is virtually impossible to satisfy frequently all the managerial，political，and legal/constitutional demands placed upon public agencies and public administrators.Efficient management may preclude political representation and constitutional due process.Emphasizing one approach is certain to provoke criticisms from those who think the others are more important.No doubt this is discouraging in some respects，but it also makes public administration challenging and fascinating.Public administrators are called upon to help solve the nation's problems and improve its quality of life.However，there is little consensus on how they should proceed.Although their jobs are sometimes impossible，many find working in the public sector rewarding.