Bureaucracy In Trinidad And Tobago

The origins of Public Administration were born in the United States and can be traced back to the 19th century. Woodrow Wilson is credited as the founding father of said discipline. Over the years, government functions have revolutionized which is inclusive of the Public Administration sector which has become more prominent in the management of governmental responsibilities. This period witnessed the transition from a non-scientific discipline that could not stand on its own and was interwoven into the disciplines of sociology and psychology to a scientific discipline that could stand on its own and be self-validated. This was thanks to the Public Administrative group and theorists which allowed it to do so. It is merited with significance

The bureaucracy can be defined as an administrative body of appointed officials which is entailed in a capacity of an organization with definite rules, regulations powers and functions. However, it has been observed that the Caribbean lacks modernized practices and attitudes. This deficit can be traced back to the colonized period during the 15th century where Columbus arrived approximately during the mid- 20th century when the first elections to the Legislative Council were held and later when Trinidad gained independence. During this period, Trinidad was not equipped enough to possess its own bureaucratic structure and thus, a governor General from the metropolitan was put in place as the authoritative figure to serve a specialized function. This system was not concerned with economic growth or development but rather with elite-class

Concentration then shifted to social and economic development. At this time, the politics of Trinidad was conducted by the middle class who was represented in the political parties, for example at that time the People’s National Movement (PNM), and supported by the working class. Post-independence, Parliament has been the chief ruling body in Trinidad and Tobago. This bureau consists of all officials which includes; a Senate, House of Representatives, the executive which is made up of the President, Prime Minister and Cabinet. The President serves as the commander in chief and possesses the authority to grant pardons under constitutional provisions. All legal actions carried out by these personnel are guided by the Constitution. On the heels of this legal structure, the contemporary period can be currently observed. This is seen through a full-fledged bureaucracy with a foundation based on specialization wherein which persons obtain positions such as finance specialists, human resource specialists or communication specialists and carry out functions under different sectors which contribute towards a governmental