Rethinking Public Administration’s Roots in Pragmatism

Abstract

This article portrays the pragmatism of Charles S. Peirce, William James, and John Dewey as an insignificant influence during the early years of American public administration. The mainstream thinking during that time was exemplified by the ideas of Charles A. Beard, an influential figure in the early era of the field. Beard’s writings illustrate the way public administration ignored important aspects of pragmatism in favor of practical attitudes and focus on apolitical efficiency. As a result, administrative orthodoxy developed in opposition to pragmatism, which explains the abandonment and misinterpretation of Mary Parker Follett’s ideas. Equipped with the recognition that public administration has never really given pragmatism a chance, scholars and practitioners may be led to consider its possibilities in a contemporary administrative context.