Abstract

Wasim I. Al-Habil

This research tries to answer one of the major questions that has been discussed in the literature of Public Administration (PA) repeatedly. The question is: Has 21st century American government succeeded in achieving a genuinely democratic administration where efficiency and democratic values are reconciled? The main argument of this research is that it has not been possible in spite of the calls of many public administration theories which have encouraged the adoption of Follett’s equation based on the partnership between efficient government and active citizen participation. The research argues that Follett’s assertion sounds rather optimistic but it has not been implemented seriously on the ground.