Concepts of State and government

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1. Word search. Look in your dictionaries / computer to find collocates, meanings, information, synonyms…of the words “state” and “government”. Share your words with your partner /group and talk about them.

2. Questions. Make questions based on your findings from pre-reading activity № 1. Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. Imagine you are the ruler of a state. What a political regime would you choose? Why? Talk to all the other “rulers” in the classroom about your ideal state.

From the point of view of property relations we can separate two fundamental groups of ideal State functions. First one is elimination of different types of property rights imperfections and creation of efficient property regime accompanied by fair societal system. This is an ideal social function of the State. Second function is connected with the supply of particular goods and services, with income redistribution, with economic regulation and with stimulation of aggregate demand. This is an ideal economic function of the State.

Social function of the State ideally incorporates two major components derived from an objective to eradicate different types of property rights imperfections – counteraction of social monopolization and counteraction of property rights violations. We know by now that counteraction of social monopolization and of property rights violations of the social nature by the State is very problematic because their very emergence is only possible through utilization of the mechanisms of power and coercion or through direct participation of the State. If it were not for the State social monopolies simply will never appear especially under the modern societal balance of power. Another story is counteraction of property rights violations of the private nature or enforcement of law and order. It seems like a decent and at the same time appropriate and suitable task for the State. The only problem is that it concerns security of private individuals and directly is neither in the interests of the State nor in those of the State bureaucracy. State as a proprietor, as commercial enterprise or as economic agent simply does not care about property rights violations of the private nature just like it does not care about any private interests except for those of its real proprietors. Indirectly, however, State bureaucracy does get revenues as well as its own important ideological justification associated with this function. State has to take this function on board partly in order to justify its own necessity and its own existence and partly as a result of people’s demands under the process of social counteraction. Extremely important is that this function is making State to enforce law and even the entire social infrastructure, which serve to preserve existing property rights and property relations and therefore also to preserve exclusive property rights associated with the State. On the other hand, this function justifies and so far extremely successfully the very presence of the mechanisms of power and coercion in society and consequently of the State generally. This function is extraordinarily imperative for the State because it might be a single function, which more or less justifies necessity and an overall existence of the State. Ideal social functions are the most artificial to the State’s nature and the most strange to the State’s interests and first of all to the interests of its true real proprietors (even though indirectly they serve those interests in one way or another) and because of that people have to effectively impose them under the process of social counteraction.

Ideal economic functions of the State can be divided into two subgroups – macroeconomic and microeconomic ones. Ideally the State as macroeconomic agent has to achieve three major objectives – stimulate aggregate demand and aggregate supply, redistribute income in social security and welfare purposes and eliminate economic monopolies. State as microeconomic agent is expected to supply certain goods and services either because they are traditionally considered as public goods, or because they suppose to contribute to the State’s macroeconomic task of boosting aggregate demand or because State might have certain economic advantages in their delivery on the.

From the point of view of property relations, all State macroeconomic functions can be reduced to one single social function of property and income redistribution. This is most perceptible in the case of income redistribution function related to social security or social assistance programs. Income redistribution is purely social function because its materialization is only possible through utilization of the mechanisms of power and coercion as well as through escalation of physical and financial volumes of socially monopolized property (of the State revenues) and therefore also through elevation of appropriated monopolistic income by the top-level State bureaucracy. Any income redistribution represents a perfect example of property rights violations of social nature. As a more or less validating argument for income redistribution under social monopolization can serve the neutralization of negative effects related to existing social monopolies (others than the State). However, this is not relevant to our modern realities when State, especially in economically developed countries, represents the strongest and most of the time a single social monopoly in society.

Second macroeconomic function of the State – stimulation of economic growth – under closer consideration is nothing else but redistribution of investment resources from private proprietors to the State. This function is also based exclusively on power and coercion (otherwise nobody will give away those resources) and therefore is a purely social function.

Major problem with State’s microeconomic function of the supply of goods and services is that the State is all times least efficient economic agent or the least efficient commercial enterprise. On the other hand, this is a single State function, which is fairly modestly or at least not directly based on mechanisms of power and coercion and therefore it is a single more or less truly economic function of the State.

Third ideal macroeconomic function – elimination of economic monopolies – by and large represents the same act of property redistribution but with different participants. Now, “losers” are the proprietors of economic monopolies, while the winner ideally suppose to be society as a whole. However, monopolies of economic nature not being associated with instruments of power and coercion in their pure case do not represent property rights imperfections. Since on the contrary to social monopolies, economic ones do not generate property rights imperfections, in their pure form they hardly need to be counteracted at all and their eradication is just a matter of time and market competition. Elimination of social monopolies, on the other hand, cannot be based on any economic actions because economic actions never destroy social monopoly.

Public administration in Western Europe is rooted in a strong state tradition, contrary to public administration in the United States. Rutgers notes that just as the concept of the state provides unity as basis for social integration, it provides a framework for conceptualizing the academic discipline of Public Administration. Public administration has to keep the state going and exercise its public authority. Hence, in order to understand the ‘European’ approach to Public Administration one has to address the development of the study in relation to the development of the state. However, the diversity of Western Europe in terms of tradition – Anglo-Saxon, Napoleonic, Germanic and Scandinavian – illustrates Stillman’s comments that “while a definition of state is indispensable to comprehending European Public Administration, there is no one type of European state that defines uniformly its administrative sciences.” This inevitably results in considerable differences among the national styles of Public Administration thought.

Traditionally, to work in the public sector required a particular commitment to public service and it was accepted that the attitude to work related duties involved more than meeting a specific goal or deadline. An analysis of changes in society and of the dynamics of the public sector is necessary to judge whether the classical values.

Rutgers also notes that the centrality of the state in European public administration also defines how we think about Public Administration. He illustrates his point through reference to literature and the topics and concepts used by authors both sides of the Atlantic. For example, he notes that in the 1995 edition of The Politics of Bureaucracy by B. Guy Peters. For example, Stevens in his study of the British civil service claims that the present generation of recruits does not have the same commitment to the public service as their predecessors who are now in senior positions. We assert that academic programmes in Public Administration should attempt to address such changes in society.

The commitment and loyalty of public servants cannot be taken for granted, especially in countries with no long state tradition and which have a short experience of democratic governance. In CEE, one of the principal problems stems from the convention of failing to make the appropriate distinctions between civil servants and other types of employees. During the Communist regime, the notion of civil servants carrying out the powers of the state under law and under an inherent responsibility had no impact on the regulation of employment conditions for this group of employees as civil servants were subject to the general labor codes. The appropriate mechanisms to protect civil servants from party-political interventions were lacking and this, in turn, created a distrust and even hostility towards the state apparatus from the citizens.

Drechsler argues that “the fundamental challenge to Central and Eastern Europe is still a restoration or (re)creation of the positive concept of the state”. The missing positive concept of the state and the insufficient state identification on the part of citizens leads to serious problems, which include unattractiveness of the civil service career, the lack of loyalty of the citizens to the government or true respect for legal or administrative decisions. The administrative culture, the attitudes and ethics of bureaucrats are highly dependent on tradition. These characteristics are very difficult to change and change cannot be easily implemented. In CEE, any state matter, and particularly public administration, usually suffers from the legacy of a justifiably bad reputation of the state in the Communist regime. Drechsler (ibid.) concludes that “many, if not most, of the problems facing Central and Eastern Europe right now are therefore related to questions of what the state is or should be.” The impact of state tradition and the development of solid principles of public administration are, as previously noted, established in Western Europe as a result of a long political evolution.

The perception of difference in state traditions and the concept of the state in various European countries have a direct impact on the development of PA curricula. In the countries with long and ingrained state traditions, skills training can receive a greater emphasis in PA curricula, whereas PA education approaches in CEE countries should, in addition to skills development, specifically focus on the role of civil servants in society and on the very basic values of a contemporary civil service. Therefore, in order to achieve basic competences for civil servants, it is necessary that civil servants know what they are doing and why, and with which phenomenon they are actually dealing with. Drechsler argues that “in our complex, rapidly changing times all one can do, yet what one must do, is to strive for a learned, creative, adaptable yet intellectually secure public administration professional who is aware of the basic questions and therefore able to address the day-to-day ones once they pose themselves, often in unforeseen forms.” Consequently, students of PA should understand the notion of the European Administrative Space and internalize its values, thus enabling them to apply this into practical solutions once they leave the academy.

be rooted in, contrary to, not a single reference, be taken for granted, CEE, under an inherent responsibility, in order to understand, in terms of tradition, senior positions, democratic governance, the notion of civil servants, a justifiably bad reputation, solid principles, a long political evolution, long and ingrained state traditions, in addition to, be aware of the basic questions, contemporary civil service, party-political interventions, highly dependent

1. Public administration in Western Europe is rooted … a strong state tradition, contrary … public administration in the United States.

2. This inevitably results … considerable differences among the national styles of Public Administration thought.

3. The commitment and loyalty of public servants cannot be taken … granted, especially in countries … no long state tradition.

4. He illustrates his point …. reference … literature and the topics and concepts used … authors both sides of the Atlantic.

5. The appropriate mechanisms to protect civil servants … party-political interventions were lacking.

6. The missing positive concept of the state and the insufficient state identification … the part of citizens leads … serious problems.

7. The perception of difference in state traditions and the concept of the state in various European countries have a direct impact … the development of PA curricula.

8. PA education approaches in CEE countries should, … addition to skills development, specifically focus … the role of civil servants in society.

9. Drechsler argues that “in our complex, rapidly changing times all one can do is to strive … a learned, creative, adaptable yet intellectually secure public administration professional who is aware … the basic questions and therefore able to address the day-to-day ones once they pose themselves, often in unforeseen forms.