Alexander Hamilton

• Date: 01 November 2002
• Published date: 01 November 2002
• DOI: 10.1177/009539902237275
• Author: Richard T. Green
• Subject Matter: Articles

ADMINISTRATION & SOCIETY / November 2002Green / ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Thisarticle describes the foundation of Hamilton’s theory and practice of public administra-

tion. That foundation consists of four interconnected pillars: politics, organization design,

ethics, and law. These pillars undergird the public administration today but are not recog-

nized as the foundation of the field. Wemay be entering a period of reform in our conception

of the field. If this is so, we will perhaps also reconsider the interpretationof the field’s ori-

gins. Hamilton should figure prominentlyin any such revision for he, more than any other

founder,attended to the theory and practice of public administration in the American Repub-

lic. We cannot help butpractice the craft of public administration in his shadow.

ALEXANDER HAMILTON

Founder of the American Public

Administration

RICHARD T. GREEN

University of Utah

Most texts on public administration give little regard to the founding

period as the source of modern public administration. Rather, theyusually

identify its founding in the rise of the regulatory and service state of the

early 20th century. The Progressive Era melded science with a new self-

awareness about public administration, and that union has captured the

field’s attention ever since. The burgeoning of governments during that

period does justify significant scholarly attention, and it is not unreason-

able to attribute to it some characteristics of founding. John Rohr (1986),

for example, described the period as a “founding in word” which “put

Public Administration theory at odds with the founding principles of the

Republic, and thereby created a severe legitimacyproblem for the admin-

istrative state” (p. 11).

Rohr’s idea of multiple (three) foundings implies, of course, that there

are multiple founders of public administration. Historians of the public

administration give increasing attention to variousfigures, especially pro-

gressives such as Wilson, Eaton, Goodnow, Follett, and now, Teddy

541

ADMINISTRATION& SOCIETY, Vol.34 No. 5, November 2002 541-562

DOI: 10.1177/009539902237275

© 2002 Sage Publications

Roosevelt. Founding-era figures, such as Alexander Hamilton and

Thomas Jefferson, havebeen examined at times regarding their theories of

public administration (cf., Caldwell, 1964; Green, 1987, 1988, 1990,

1993, 1998; Stillman, 1983), but their reputations as founders of the

Republic seem to wash out any regard for them as founders of the public

administration. The same is true of Madison and the rest. It is as though

their work was for a bygone era when public administration did not really

matter.This is unfortunate, for there is much to be learned from that gener-

ation about American public administration, not just in terms of historical

knowledge but in terms of public administration theory and practice

today. This is especially true of Alexander Hamilton.

Hamilton is considered by historians and biographers to be the admin-

istrative genius of the founding era. In his own time he was regarded by

friend and foe as an administrative tour de force. His arch rival,Jefferson,

characterized him as aptly as any: “Without numbers, he is an host within

himself” (Lipscomb, 1903, pp. 309-310). Jefferson lamented the admin-

istrative system that Hamilton established in such a short time. In just

10 years Hamilton put in place an administrative infrastructure that set the

young nation on course for becoming an opulent commercial republic.

It is the purpose of this article to describe the basis of Hamilton’s

administrativetheory and practice. This is not a comprehensive treatment.

That cannot be done in one article, and other, more exhaustivesources on

that already exist.1Rather, I wish only to describe the foundation of his

theory and practice and to suggest that public administrators today are

continually affected by it, though they may not recognize it as such. I have

chosen a schema of four interconnected pillars to describe the foundation

of Hamilton’stheory of public administration. They are politics, organiza-

tion design, ethics, and law.

THE POLITICAL PILLAR

THE COMMERCIAL REPUBLIC

Hamilton subscribed, with Hume and Montesquieu, to the belief that

“government must be fittedto a nation, as much as a coat to the individual;

and consequently, that what may be good at Philadelphia may be bad at

Paris, and ridiculous at Petersburgh” (Syrett & Cooke, 1969-1979,

Vol. XXII, p. 404). Accordingly, the public administration must conform

in its operations with the basic political character and principles of the

542 ADMINISTRATION & SOCIETY / November 2002