UPSC Optional - Public Administration Thinker - Woodrow Wilson(1856-1924)

 

Woodrow Wilson 

UPSC Optional Notes Free Download - Public Administration Thinker 

Woodrow Wilson(1856-1924)

 28 th President of America(1913-1921).

 Nobel prize in Peace(1919) for proposing League of Nations to establish peace in Europe.

 Legalized Women’s Right to vote.

 In 1902, became president of Princeton University.

 In 1910, elected as Governor of New Jersey.

 After Civil war, he was first South born President.

 Civil War:- 

fought in USA from 1861-1865, broke out when secessionist forces attacked Fort

Sumter in South Carolina over enslavement of Black people.

 Progressive Reforms:-

1. Underwood Act(a system of graduated federal Income Tax)

2. Federal Reserve Act(permitted greater elastic ,money to state)

3. Anti Trust Legislation(to curb discriminating business practices)

4. Child Labor prohibition Law

5. 8-hours work culture for railroad workers

6. Let America into World War 1 in 1917.

7. Proposed 14 Points to return to peace.

 League of Nations:

 A result of Paris Peace Conference (1920), to prevent wars through

collective security and disarmament (withdrawing forces), settling international disputes

through negotiations and arbitrations and maintaining world peace. Treaty of Versailles ended

the World War btwn Germany and allied powers.

 Wilson’s 14 Points:-

1. Open covenants(agreements) of peace and no private international understanding.

2. Complete freedom of Navigation upon Seas.

3. Removal of all economic barriers.

4. Reduction of national armaments.

5. Open minded adjustment of colonial claims.

6. Evacuation of all Russian territory.

7. Restoration of Belgium after evacuation.

8. All French territories should be freed.

9. Readjustments of frontiers of Italy.

10. Opportunities of autonomous development for people of Austria and Hungary.

11. Romania, Serbia and Montenegro should be evacuated and restoring their territories.

12. Secure sovereignty for Turkish position of Ottoman Empire.

13. Erection of independent Polish State.

14. Formation of general associations of nations under covenants.

He strongly believed that politics can’t answer all the administrative problems, hence a separate

disciplinary study is required of administration.

 Views on Public Administrations:

 First book- Congressional Government: A study in American Politics(comparing American presidential

form of Government with other parliamentary form of govt)

 In 1887, Wilson’s The study of Administration.

 Opined for a science of administration.

 Dichotomy of Politics and administration.

 Though politics determines administrative duties, but at the same time it should not interfere in the

discharge of those duties.

 He believed that civil service reforms in particular and administrative reforms in general could

ensure separation of politics from administration.

 Business like administration based on values and management practices.

 Brought comparative analysis, initiated the concepts of checks and balances and political neutrality.

 Comparative analysis and include something good from others and improving science of

administration on continuous basis.