Public Administration, Bureaucracy, and Philippine Governance

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering Philippine bureaucracy, classical theories of public administration (Max Weber and Frederick Taylor), checks and balances, and the historical development of public administration in the Philippines.

What is the main role and responsibility of bureaucrats in government?

Bureaucrats are administrative officials who implement government policy, bring laws and executive decisions into action, write rules and regulations, and directly administer public services to citizens.

How is bureaucracy defined within a political system?

A system of administration based upon organization into bureaus, division of labor, and a hierarchy of authority, designed to dispose of a large body of work in a routine manner.

What three types of kinship structures contribute to nepotism within the Philippine bureaucracy?

Kinship groups structured by consanguinity, by affinity, and by ritual kinship (compadre), where family loyalty and mutual obligation take precedence over impersonal rules.

What is the spoils system (or patronage system) in government?

A practice where a winning political party awards government jobs to its supporters, friends (cronyism), and relatives (nepotism) as a reward and incentive, rather than assigning roles based on an independent merit system.

Which constitutional mechanisms serve as external peaceful means to rectify bureaucratic misconduct in the Philippines?

Constitutional rights and privileges such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and civic action.

What behaviors characterize the Philippine bureaucracy's response to administrative change?

Resistance to change driven by socio-economic, political, cultural, and ecological constraints, leading to conformity to policies, preference towards continuity, loss of self-assertion, and political supportiveness.

According to the framework on public administration, what sequence connects administrative thought to public service outcomes?

1. Administrative Thought -> 2. Administrative Principles -> 3. Institutional Structures -> 4. Administrative Processes -> 5. Government Actions -> 6. Public Service Outcomes.

What is the key distinction between administrative thought and administrative institutions?

Administrative thought provides the ideas, principles, and theories explaining how government should work, whereas administrative institutions are the formal structures and organizations that put those ideas into government practice.

What are the language origins and meanings of the word 'bureaucracy'?

'Bereau' (from French/Latin) means the office, and 'cracy' (from Greek) means power, authority, or judgment, combined to mean the rule or authority of the office.

What three types of authority structures were formulated by German sociologist Max Weber?

1. Charismatic authority (based on personal devotion); 2. Traditional authority (based on inherited customs and traditions); 3. Rational-legal authority (based on bureaucratic organizational forms).

What are the seven core characteristics of Max Weber's bureaucratic model?

Specialization & Division of Labor, Rules & Procedures, Hierarchy of Authority, Formal Communication, Detailed Job Descriptions, Employment Based on Expertise, and Impersonal Environment.

What are the primary criticisms made against Max Weber's bureaucratic model?

It is criticized for being cumbersome, prioritizing procedure over efficiency, being too rigid to adapt to change, creating red tape, and being dysfunctional for innovation and creative work.

What are the key principles of Frederick W. Taylor's Scientific Management Theory?

Adopting science over rule of thumb, promoting harmony rather than discord (mental revolution), scientifically matching and supervising workers, providing performance pay, and dividing planning responsibilities to management.

What major critique is directed at Frederick W. Taylor's Scientific Management Theory?

It lacks human appreciation by reducing workers to physical tools in the production process, stripping them of autonomy, and assuming that monetary reward alone drives performance.

How has Max Weber's bureaucratic theory manifested in the Philippine administrative system?

It forms the foundation of the Civil Service Commission (CSC), Career Executive Service (CESO), merit recruitment, line departments (DepEd, DOH, DPWH, DENR, DILG), Citizen's Charters, and neutral oversight bodies (Ombudsman, Sandiganbayan).

How has Scientific Management Theory influenced Philippine governance practices?

It introduced time-and-motion efficiency, performance systems like the Performance-Based Bonus (PBB) and Results-Based Performance Management System (RBPMS), and ease of doing business reforms under RA 11032.

On what constitutional doctrine is the principle of checks and balances established?

Montesquieu's doctrine of separation of powers, distributing authority across Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches to prevent abuse of power.

What executive check was exercised regarding the 2019 Security of Tenure Bill and the 2025 national budget?

Presidential vetoes: President Duterte vetoed the 2019 Security of Tenure Bill (Anti-Endo Bill), and President Marcos Jr. exercised a line-item veto on ₱194 billion in the 2025 budget.

Which 2013 Supreme Court decision checkminded legislative budget practices by declaring the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) unconstitutional?

Belgica v. Ochoa (2013).

Which court rulings restricted presidential emergency powers and spending programs under executive check?

David v. Arroyo (2006) limited presidential emergency powers under Proclamation 1017, and Araullo v. Aquino III (2014) invalidated parts of the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

Why did the Supreme Court halt the 2025 impeachment proceeding against Vice President Sara Duterte?

The Supreme Court cited a violation of the constitutional one-year bar rule on impeachment.

What does 'gridlock' mean in the context of government checks and balances?

A state where government cannot act or make decisions effectively because different political branches or parties continually block each other.

What were the social classes in the pre-colonial Philippine barangay structure?

1. Maharlika / Maginoo (nobility/ruling class); 2. Timawa (freemen, farmers, fishermen, warriors); 3. Alipin (dependents/slaves, comprising Aliping Namamahay and Aliping Sagigilid).

How was guilt determined under the pre-colonial Ordeal by Chewing Rice (pagnguya ng bigas)?

The accused chewed uncooked rice and spat it out; if the rice was dry (indicating nervousness or deceit), guilt was declared, whereas moist rice indicated innocence.

What was the political administrative hierarchy in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period?

Governor-General (national head) -> Alcalde Mayor (provincial governor) -> Gobernadorcillo (town head) -> Cabeza de Barangay (village leader).

Which body established the Philippine Civil Service system during the American colonial period?

The Schurman Commission.

What statutory provision elevated the Philippine Civil Service Bureau to Commission status?

Article XI of the 1935 Constitution, granting it full and exclusive authority to investigate civil service personnel.

What executive action did President Manuel L. Quezon take under Executive Order No. 8?

He repealed Section 683 of the Administrative Code to extend civil service coverage across all branches and subdivisions of government.

Which legislative act was praised as the 'civil service reformer's dream come true' during the Commonwealth era?

Commonwealth Act No. 177, which reasserted merit, open competitive examinations, and security of tenure.

What was the administrative nature of the Second Philippine Republic under President Jose P. Laurel?

A Japanese-sponsored government (often called a puppet government) that maintained civil service structures on the surface but severely damaged merit and fitness standards.

What were parity rights established under the Bell Trade Relations Act of 1946?

Rights granting American citizens equal status with Filipino citizens to develop natural resources and operate public utilities in the Philippines.

What was the purpose and key outcome of the 1950 Bell Mission?

Led by Daniel W. Bell, this Economic Survey Mission assessed Philippine financial and economic crises and recommended merit-based civil service reforms, wage laws, supervisory training, and administrative reorganizations.

When and how was the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) created at the University of the Philippines?

On June 15, 1952, through a contract between the University of the Philippines and the University of Michigan.

When was the Philippine Journal of Public Administration first published and who was its founding editor?

In 1957, edited by Jose V. Abueva.

On what date was the UP College transformed into the National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG)?

On November 26, 1998, under the leadership of Dean Ledivina V. Cariño.

What are the five Republics in Philippine political history?

First Republic (1899–1901, Malolos), Second Republic (1943–1945, Japanese occupation), Third Republic (1946–1972, Post-independence), Fourth Republic (1972–1986, Marcos regime), and Fifth Republic (1987–present, post-EDSA Constitution).