Arthur MacMahon

Arthur Whittier MacMahon (May 29, 1890 – February 4, 1980) was an American political scientist, president of the American Political Science Association in 1946–47, and a pioneer in the academic study of public administration.

Biography MacMahon was born in Brooklyn, New York on May 29, 1890, the son of Benjamin and Abbie MacMahon. He received his B.A. from Columbia University in 1912 and his M.A. in 1913. Immediately after receiving his M.A., MacMahon began teaching as an instructor in Columbia's government department. While teaching, MacMahon continued his studies and completed his PhD at Columbia in 1923. He was then promoted to assistant professor. and quickly became a widely cited and influential text, considered by its reviewers to be "a lasting enrichment of the study of public administration in the United States."

In the book, MacMahon and Millet concluded that government departments needed "both political and administrative leadership."

Government management After Federal Administrators, MacMahon continued to study "the relationship of the administrative expert to the political authority" in works such as Administration in Foreign Affairs (1953), The Administration of Federal Work Relief (1939) and Autonomous Public Enterprise (1940). In these works, MacMahon also examined the role of "uninformed popular opinion" in shaping government policy. MacMahon also analyzed the management structure of the WPA and the proper role for political authorities, particularly the President of the United States to play in the organization. MacMahon concluded that it was inappropriate for the President to lead the WPA, and that an independent administrator should be chosen. In the book, MacMahon proposed that foreign policy problems should be handled by a single, centralized "Department of Foreign Affairs", which would handle all matters of foreign affairs, including all US programs operating abroad, particularly with regard to integrating economic policy into the State Department. This recommendation was "most controversial" and contradicted the findings of several government commissions on the subject. MacMahon also wrote two books on the subject of federalism himself: Delegation and Autonomy (1962) and Administering Federalism in a Democracy (1972).

Delegation and Autonomy Delegation and Autonomy was based on a series of lectures that MacMahon delivered at the Indian Institute of Public Administration in 1960. Though the lectures were delivered in India, MacMahon focuses primarily on the American experience of federalism and decentralization. MacMahon focused on the economic and administrative challenges in decentralization. The book was not revolutionary, but received a good reception among reviewers, one of whom called it "a systematic compendium, rich in illustrations, but still richer in suggestive analysis."

Administering Federalism in a Democracy Published in 1972, Administering Federalism in a Democracy was MacMahon's last major work. The work focused on the nature of American federalism, with an emphasis on the institutions involved. The book was not as well received as many of MacMahon's earlier pieces, and was criticized for avoiding many of the relevant issues in American politics such as racism and the differences between the states in America. William Stewart wrote that the book "presents material which is already available elsewhere" and avoids "the issues ... at the heart of the contemporary problems of American federalism."