Public Administration in Contemporary Society

This book is about public administration in contemporary society; more specifically, contemporary society in South Africa. But why contemporary society? The answer can be found in the fact that: "There is scarcely a single duty of government which was once simple which is not now complex; government once had but a few masters; it now has scores of masters. Majorities only underwent government; they now conduct government. Where government once might follow the whims of a court, it must now follow the whims of a nation. The authors of this book took cognizance of the transitional stage in which South Africa currently finds itself. All the most recent developments in public administration in South Africa have been taken into account. Recent reform in South Africa has shown conclusively that systems must be adapted from time to time. However, irrespective of changing systems, the basic premises of public administration remain unaltered, providing a constant frame of reference for evaluating new developments. It is for this very reason that Public Administration in Contemporary Society will never lose its relevance for academics, students and public officials.