UNIT 1: ADMINISTRATION – PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (2)

Activity 9: True or false?

Now read the text again and say if the following statements are true of false. Write T for true or F for false. The first sentence is done for you as an example.

--T-- 1. The notion of public administration has a long history.

-----  2. There is a consensus about the scope of public administration.

-----  3. Public administration is both an art and a science.

-----  4. Public administration is also a profession.

-----  5. Definitions of public administration are generally agreed upon.

-----  6. The meaning of public administration as “the activity of civil servants” is very narrow.

-----  7. Public administration is a power, namely “administrative power”.

-----  8. Public administration is not comprised of public bodies.

-----  9. Public administration is a set of institutions, namely administrative institutions.

----- 10. Public administration is an action of public servants.

Activity 10: Answer the following questions

1. What do you understand about public administration as an art?
2. What do you understand about public administration as a science?
3. Who considers public administration as a profession?
4. What does public administration include as a profession?
5. What is the definition of public administration given by Fletcher?
6. What is the definition of public administration given by Waldo?
7. What are the components of the executive power?
8. What do you understand by “administrative institutions”?

Activity 11: What is the main idea?

Read again carefully to find the most important idea in each paragraph. Paragraph 1 is done for you as an example.

Paragraph 1: Public administration is both an art and a science, and even a profession.

Paragraph 2 (3-4 minutes) ...................................................................................................................

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Paragraph 3 (3-4 minutes) ...................................................................................................................

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Activity 12: Pronunciation

Stress

1. Words ending in –tion have at least two syllables or more. Now listen to the nouns ending in –tion. Mark the stressed syllable.
2. The list:

1. Study the list again. Can you tell what the rule is for stress in words ending in –tion?

Activity 13: Group discussion

What is your definition of administration and public administration? Discuss in groups of four or five, then tell the rest of the class what you decided.

C.     EXTENSION

Activity 14: Rule for the use of Present Simple and Present Xontinuous tenses

Study the following explanations and compare the examples:

1. Administration …………………. (carry) an implication of directing and coordinating things on behalf of other people or authorities.
2. The director general cannot meet you now. He ………….. (chair) an important meeting.
3. Hurry up! Everybody ……………….(wait) for you.
4. Public administration ……………….(focus) on the institutions, organizational structures and decision/implementation processes of government.
5. ‘What ………………………. (your husband/do)?’ ‘He’s an inspector but he ……………. (not/work) at the moment.
6. The President is in London at the moment. He ……………. (stay) at the Park Hotel. He …………………(always/stay) there when he’s in London.
7. An is very untidy. He …………………(always/leave) his papers all over the workplace.
8. Thu and Nam…………………..(learn) English now in the classroom at the National Academy of Public Administration.
9. We usually …………………..(work) in the Ministry of Trade but this month we ………………… (go) on a study visit to Singapore.
10. Normally my wife ……………….(finish) work at 5.00, but this week she ………………(work) until 6.00 to finish all the documents.

Activity 15: Filling in the gaps

Complete the following paragraph. Fill in each gap with the most suitable word you can find.

According to many authors, public administration is ………… (1) as the executive in action. It is important to note that ………….. (2) administration not only forms the largest part of government, it …………. (3) at the heart of the policy process. Public administration, at the same time, holds the responsibility for the …………… (4) of this policy. It can be distinguished from ……………. (5) administration.

D. HOMEWORK

Exercise 1: Translation

Translate the following sentences into Vietnamese:

1. Although the term “public administration” has a long history, there is not a general consensus about it.

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1. My parents work for government organizations. They are considered to be public servants.

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1. At present, the British government consists of about fifteen departments, also called ministries.

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Translate the following sentences into English:

1. Vợtôi thường đi làm vào lúc 7 giờsang, song tuần này cô ấy đi làm từ6 giờđểchuẩn bịbáo cáo thường kỳ cho ông giám đốc.

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1. Ngài bộtrưởng hiện đang nghiên cứu vềhệthống hành chính công của Vương quốc Anh tại Luân Đôn.

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1. Nền hành chính công là nơi thực thi các chính sách của nhà nước.

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Exercise 2: Complementary reading:

Read the following text and answer the questions that follow.

Administration – Public Administration

Administration:

There are different interpretations of the term “administration” according to various approaches. Administration can be considered from economic, juridical and social aspects and we can make a distinction between Public Administration and Private Administration.

Public Administration:

The term is commonly used in countries where a market economy is developed and the private sector plays an important role. It is used to distinguish it from Private Administration. Public Administration can be seen in three aspects:

1 – It is a power named “Administrative Power”. This is an important component of the Executive power, which consist of the Regulatory and Administrative powers.

Regulatory power is the power of executive bodies to issue regulatory acts under the law to implement state management work according to the law. Only the bodies in the executive system with the function of state management and on behalf of the State have the power issue regulatory acts to implement the law.

Administrative power is the power to organize and manage the State’s administrative machinery to conduct the work of the State, the power to govern all activities with lateral right, as the one on behalf of the State. In this case, administration means the State management or ruling.

Generally speaking, while considering administration as a power, we can understand that it is an entity organizations and operational statute of the executive machinery responsible for day-to-day work of the State conducted by the bodies which have the public power. This is the management of all areas of socio-economic life to carry out the political task, keep the public order, protect the rights of citizens and serve the daily needs of citizens. In this meaning administration is a functional system of the State which ensure the implementation of the executive power and continuous operation of state machinery.

2 – Public Administration is an institution formed by a system of public power bodies including the Government, various ministries, people’s committees, public institutions, which have the competence to organize and regulate all the socio-economic processes and the actions of different organizations or citizens by regulatory acts under the laws.

3 – Administration is action. It is the concrete day-to-day work to implement the guidelines of the manager. The work consists of drafting, printing, keeping documents etc. The meaning is very narrow.

Public Administration is a component of the state machinery, involved in the political system and having the task to conduct state power.

Answer the following questions:

1. Are there many understandings of the terms “administration” and “public administration”?

2. From which aspects can administration be considered?

3. Where is the term “public administration” commonly used? Explain why.

4. What are the main contents of regulatory power?

5. What can we say about administration as a power?

E. REVIEW TEST

You have 20 minutes to complete the following test. When you have finished, your teacher will give you the key and you will mark your own answers.

Test 1: Filling in the gaps

Find words or phrases used in this unit to fill in the gaps in the following sentences:

1. The classical Latin …………… , as used by Cicero for instance, had two apparently distinct senses.
2. Administration is more usually found in the ……………. Sector than the private.
3. Public administration is seen as an art, a ………………, and a profession.
4. Public administration can be used to denote the ……………… of public sevants.
5. The executive power may be divided into administrative power and ……………… power.

(5 points)

Test 2: Right or wrong?

Are the underlined verbs right or wrong? Correct the verbs that are wrong.

1. The argument clarifies further the meaning of “administration”.

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1. The manager writes a report to the director general now.

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1. The water boils. Can you turn the gas off?

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1. I hear you’ve got a new job. How do you get on?

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1. My family lives in Hanoi.

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(5 points)