Searching for the apprehension of a concept for political administration

Abstract

This paper retrieves administration’s epistemological debate, based on the understanding of the concepts of political administration and of management as the subject of administration. Considering that political administration is responsible for managing the nation’s project, whose aim is the welfare of society, the theoretical discussion incorporates two other analytical dimensions: political economy — which determines what to do about the collective demands — and professional administration/economics — which is the technical basis for the accomplishment of the nation’s project. To complete theoretical reference frame, the paper discusses the notion of temporality: one that is expressed by the term in office (administrative, normative and bureaucratic time) and another that is theoretical (the technical time needed to carry out the nation’s project).