PAP 2300 Lecture Notes - Alternative Civilian Service, Formal System, Balance Wheel

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Public Administration
• Course: PAP 2300
• Professor: Frank Ohemeng

Document Summary

The meaning of responsibility and accountability in the public sector. Principles for effective accountability in canadian public administration. To be responsible is to have the authority to act, power to control, freedom to decide, the ability to distinguish and to behave rationally and reliably and with consistency and trustworthiness in exercising internal judgement. Administrative responsibility requires public administration to serve as a balance wheel among the superior branches of government as they compete for control over public policy. This means career public officials should resist action by any superior branch of government that threaten the balance of power among all three. Both identified the sources of burgeoning bureaucratic power as a result of the rapid expansion of government"s service and regulatory functions. They, however, strongly disagreed on the method of guarding against abuse of administrative discretion in order to maintain and promote responsible administrative conduct.