Proverbs of administration at 75: Long live proverbs?

Abstract

On the 75th anniversary of Herbert A Simon’s “Proverbs of Administration,” it is fitting to consider its place in the public administration canon, with an eye to contemporary realities. In Proverbs, Simon interrogated prevailing mid-century “principles of public administration.” But even as he reduced in rank each “principle,” he preserved a central tenet of earlier pioneers of a “science of administration”—namely that public administration theory should focus, first and foremost, on administrative efficiency. Seven and a half decades after its publication, a clear-eyed examination of Simon’s essay is in order, with attention to both its historical and contemporary contexts. This essay urges that the administrative efficiency tenet was already on unstable ground at the time of Proverbs’ publication, rendering Simon’s reformist agenda less than paradigm-changing. In the contemporary context, the democratic shortcomings of Simon’s agenda are even more apparent. Proverbs is out of synch with the goals for public administration promulgated by respected associations in the field. Simon’s approach also lacks inspiration for students of public service eager to shore up the American democratic project amidst unprecedented challenges.