CSS Public Administration Governance, Accountability and Development Flashcards

24 sample cards from the Governance, Accountability and Development deck

Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.

1. Distinguish between internal and external mechanisms of administrative control/accountability.

   Internal controls operate within the administrative system (hierarchy, supervision, internal audit, codes of conduct, departmental discipline), while external controls operate from outside (legislative oversight, judicial review, ombudsman, audit by Auditor-General, media and civil society).

2. Name the principal mechanisms of legislative control over administration.

   Questions and debates, motions and resolutions, the budget/power of the purse, parliamentary committees (especially the Public Accounts Committee), and scrutiny of the Auditor-General's reports.

3. What is the function of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)?

   The PAC is a parliamentary committee that examines the Auditor-General's audit reports on government expenditure to ensure that public money was spent legally, for the sanctioned purpose, and without waste or irregularity.

4. What is the role of the Ombudsman (Wafaqi Mohtasib) as a control mechanism in Pakistan?

   The Wafaqi Mohtasib (Federal Ombudsman) investigates citizens' complaints of maladministration, injustice, corruption, delay and abuse of power by federal agencies, and recommends redress, providing inexpensive and speedy relief.

5. What is judicial control over administration?

   Judicial control is the power of courts to review administrative actions for legality through writs (such as habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, certiorari and quo warranto under Article 199), ensuring administration acts within the law and does not exceed its jurisdiction.

6. Define corruption in the public administration context.

   Corruption is the misuse of public office, power or entrusted authority for private gain, including bribery, embezzlement, nepotism, favouritism, extortion and abuse of discretion.

7. What is the difference between petty corruption and grand corruption?

   Petty corruption involves small-scale, everyday abuse by lower/mid-level officials in their interactions with citizens (small bribes), while grand corruption involves high-level officials and large sums distorting policies and the functioning of the state.

8. Name the principal anti-corruption institutions in Pakistan.

   The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), provincial Anti-Corruption Establishments (ACE), and the Ombudsman (Mohtasib).

9. What is the role of civil society in promoting accountability and good governance?

   Civil society (NGOs, media, professional associations, citizen groups, think tanks) acts as a watchdog by monitoring government, exposing corruption, advocating reform, mobilizing citizens, raising awareness, and demanding transparency and accountability.

10. What is Transparency International's main tool for measuring corruption?

    The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which ranks countries by the perceived level of public-sector corruption on a scale where a higher score means cleaner/less corrupt.

11. Define development administration.

    Development administration is the branch of public administration concerned with planning, organizing, directing and implementing programmes and projects aimed at achieving socio-economic development and nation-building, especially in developing countries.

12. How does development administration differ from traditional/regulatory administration?

    Traditional administration focuses on maintaining law, order and the status quo (regulatory/maintenance functions), while development administration is goal-oriented, change-oriented, innovative, client-centered and focused on socio-economic transformation and achievement of development objectives.

13. Who coined the term 'development administration' and who are its key theorists?

    The term is attributed to U.L. Goswami (1955) and was popularized by scholars such as Edward Weidner, Fred Riggs (Ecological/Prismatic model), George Gant, and Joseph La Palombara in the comparative public administration movement.

14. What are the two key dimensions of development administration?

    (1) The administration of development (managing programmes/projects to achieve development goals) and (2) the development of administration (building administrative capacity and reforming institutions to deliver development).

15. What is Fred Riggs' 'Prismatic Society' model?

    Riggs' prismatic model describes transitional/developing societies as a 'prism' between fused (traditional/agrarian) and diffracted (modern/industrial) societies, marked by heterogeneity, formalism (gap between rules and practice), and overlapping of structures.

16. What is meant by 'formalism' in Riggs' model of developing administration?

    Formalism is the gap or discrepancy between formally prescribed rules, laws and norms and the actual practices and behaviour, where what is officially stated differs greatly from what is actually done.

17. How has the role of public administration changed in the modern welfare/development state?

    It has shifted from a narrow law-and-order, regulatory and revenue-collecting role to a positive, developmental, welfare-promoting role involving planning, service delivery, socio-economic development, and facilitation/partnership with the private sector and civil society.

18. What is the shift from 'government' to 'governance' in the changing role of public administration?

    It reflects a move from the state being the sole provider toward networked, participatory governance where the state steers rather than rows, partnering with the private sector, NGOs and citizens, and emphasizing facilitation, regulation and coordination over direct provision.

19. What is e-governance and how does it change public administration?

    E-governance is the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to deliver public services, improve transparency, reduce corruption and delays, and enhance citizen participation, transforming administration toward greater efficiency, accessibility and accountability.

20. Name the major development challenges facing Pakistan.

    Poverty and inequality, rapid population growth, low literacy and poor education, energy/power crisis, weak economy and low tax-to-GDP ratio, corruption and weak governance, water scarcity, unemployment, terrorism/security issues, and climate change vulnerability.

21. What planning institution has historically led development planning in Pakistan, and what instrument does it use?

    The Planning Commission of Pakistan leads national development planning, using instruments such as Five-Year Plans, the Annual Plan, and the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) to allocate development resources.

22. What is the significance of Pakistan's low tax-to-GDP ratio as a development challenge?

    A low tax-to-GDP ratio (historically around 9-11%) limits the government's revenue, increases reliance on debt and deficit financing, and constrains its capacity to fund development, infrastructure and social services.

23. What is the difference between centralization and decentralization as reform/governance concepts?

    Centralization concentrates decision-making authority at the top/central level, while decentralization disperses authority to lower levels; decentralization includes deconcentration (administrative), delegation (to agencies), and devolution (to elected local governments).

24. Define 'accountability' and name its main types in public administration.

    Accountability is the obligation of public officials to answer for and justify their decisions and actions and to bear responsibility for them. Main types: political, administrative/hierarchical, legal/judicial, financial, professional, and social/public accountability.

What this deck covers

Governance, Accountability and Development flashcards FAQ