Understanding Recent Reforms in Public Administration: Legal Status and Challenges

What is it about?

The study emphasizes the need to update the legal status of administrative bodies amidst public administration reforms driven by decentralization, digitalization, legitimacy crises, and public demands. It identifies institutional, human, political, legal, technological, and social capacities necessary for effective transformation and proposes principles guiding their implementation. By employing modern doctrinal approaches and various research methods, the study offers a comprehensive definition of the legal status of administrative bodies, integrating rights, duties, powers, and institutional features. Five core reform conditions—institutional-organizational, personnel, political-legal, technological, and social-public—are outlined, along with principles like systemic integration and legal legitimacy. The findings contribute to a renewed conceptualization of administrative reform, proposing a democratic, transparent, and effective regulatory model of public administration.

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Why is it important?

This research is important because it addresses the evolving legal status of administrative bodies amidst contemporary reforms in public administration, specifically under conditions of decentralization, digitalization, and legitimacy crises. By conceptualizing the legal status of public authorities and identifying the necessary conditions for effective reform, the study informs the creation of a regulatory model that is democratic, transparent, and capable of meeting modern challenges. It provides a framework for understanding how governance structures can adapt to societal changes and improve their effectiveness and legitimacy, which is crucial for ensuring stable and responsive public administration in today's dynamic environment. Key Takeaways: 1. Comprehensive Legal Framework: The study offers a comprehensive definition of the legal status of administrative bodies, integrating rights, duties, powers, and institutional features, which serves as a foundation for developing a democratic and effective public administration model. 2. Reform Conditions and Principles: It identifies five core groups of conditions—institutional-organizational, personnel, political-legal, technological, and social-public—that are essential for successful reform, along with specific principles such as systemic integration and legal legitimacy to guide implementation. 3. Expansion of Legal Status Concept: The research expands the traditional concept of legal status to include elements like social responsibility and digital competence, aligning with pan-European trends and addressing contemporary challenges such as transparency and public expectations.