Public Administration in Palestine

Abstract

The Palestinian administrative system is distinctive, relative to either the historical context or the political environment. The former is characterized by the absence of a national power, while the latter is perpetually unstable. The state-building process in Palestine has followed an inverse path, in that staffing preceded the drafting of structures, while goals and job descriptions have been pre-empted by seemingly random political appointments. This study focuses on the history of this public administration, its main characteristics, and the system’s efficiency. The methodology is descriptive. The paper demonstrates that, in spite of obstacles such as the restrictions of the occupation and the shortage of resources, the Palestinian administrative system is progressing. This progress was most obvious during the last years because of good governance practices, especially the reduction of expenditures and the improvements in public services. The Palestinian administrative system still suffers from problems like over-staffing, poor institutional coordination and inadequate attention to the agriculture and industry sectors, which limit progress and increases the public debt.