Who wrote “The Principles of Public Administration”?

This question tests knowledge of foundational texts and authors in the field of public administration. Identifying key figures helps understand the historical development of the discipline.

• W.F. Willoughby is the correct answer. William Franklin Willoughby was a prominent American political scientist and a pioneer in the study of public administration. His seminal work, “The Principles of Public Administration,” published in 1927, is considered a landmark text that sought to establish a scientific framework for government operations and efficiency.
• Herman Finer is incorrect. While a significant scholar in public administration and comparative government, Finer is not credited with writing “The Principles of Public Administration.”
• F.W. Taylor is incorrect. Frederick Winslow Taylor is widely recognized as the “father of scientific management,” focusing on industrial efficiency and private sector management, not public administration, with his famous work “The Principles of Scientific Management.”
• Allt Lepawsky is incorrect. Albert Lepawsky was an American political scientist and urban planner, but he did not author this specific foundational text.

Willoughby's contribution was crucial in defining the early scope and principles of public administration as a distinct field of study.