PS2240: Introduction to Public Administration

Sem: AY20/21 Semester 1

Lecturer: Dr Gao Jie

*note: classes were conducted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Overview: Took this mod as I wanted to build my foundation in public administration (PA) theories and concepts just in case I wanted to take a higher level PA mod in the future. The content turned out to be fairly interesting as Dr Gao exposes us to the main approaches (managerial, political and legal) of PA and traces the history + the rise of fall of these approaches over time. I think my greatest takeaway from this mod was learning about the similarities and differences between public and private sector organisations, in terms of objectives, individual motivation, organisational structures and so on. Issues such as affirmative action, privatisation, street-level bureaucrats and political neutrality of the bureaucracy are covered as well, and are really informative and thought-provoking.

Being a PA mod, readings can get quite theoretical and difficult to understand, but not to worry. Lectures were relatively well-structured and provided a concise summary of the readings for the week, even though they can get a bit draggy. Dr Gao also makes it a point to include case studies from different countries throughout history into her classes, so that one can better understand the relevance of a particular theory or concept to the real world. As compared to other PA mods that focus on particular states or regions, this mod offers a broad overview of PA history and theories that can be applied across different contexts. Workload is also quite manageable. Would recommend this to PS students looking to clear their PA requirements or anyone interested in working in the public service upon graduation.

Assessment:

Tutorial Participation (20%): Dr Gao was my tutor. Some simple readings and discussion questions were provided for each tutorial session and we had to prep for them before coming for class. Dr Gao would split us into breakout rooms to discuss the questions and each group would present their discussion points to the rest of the class afterwards. If you end up in a big class (like I did), make it a point to speak at least once during the lesson, as Dr Gao does take note of the people who speak.

Review Essay (20%): Choose your favourite reading among the given readings and explain why you like it. There’s quite a lot of flexibility regarding when you choose to submit it (anytime between W6-13) so I submitted mine early (as I was doing 4 3Ks that sem). Do note though, it’s still very much an academic paper so don’t make it sound like a personal reflection.

Midterm Essay (20%): A short essay that answers any of the questions provided by Dr Gao. While this is due after recess week, Dr Gao actually posts the questions right at the beginning of the sem, giving you ample time to think about what you might be interested in writing about. At 1000 words, one has to be succinct and yet demonstrate understanding of the topics taught in class, which can be a challenge for some.

Final Essay (40%): A 2000 word essay based on the same pool of questions as the midterm essay. Dr Gao allows you to build this essay based on your mid-term essay as long as it’s not a simple rehashing of your previous points. I chose a question that allowed me to draw on many of the required readings (at least for the theoretical portions), which greatly reduced the time I needed for research and made things a lot more manageable. A relatively straightforward affair I would say.