Discretionality and Disarticulation in the Venezuelan Public Administration

Abstract

AbstractThis paper, which is the result of an investigation that began in 2003, focuses on public administration in Venezuela from a broader political-administrative perspective. It assumes the actors’ point of view taking into consideration their biases and heuristics. Therefore, the epistemological postures that have been assumed are Phenomenology and Hermeneutics seeking the comprehension of the actors and the situations they are involved in. The theoretical foundation has been developed from Institutionalism and Behavioral Economics; the political, administrative, and organizational theories used throughout the analysis have been approached from the epistemology of History of Ideas developed by Cambridge University. The construction of the arguments in this chapter has three steps. First, it takes into consideration the law that regulates Venezuelan public administration, the functioning of the public sector, as well as the analysis that has been developed from political economy and democratic development. Second, it describes some experiences in the public sector and what they mean regarding the Venezuelan public culture. Third, the paper summarizes some political-administrative reflections as guiding ideas to configure a realizable agenda for institutional change. The main foundation of the investigation and argumentations praise the active presence of all political-administrative actors from a cooperative and emancipatory perspective.