71 Examples of Public Administration

John Spacey, updated on August 29, 2021

Public administration is the practice of directing and controlling organizations to implement government programs and policy. This is the public sector equivalent to management. Public administrators do not determine high level policy but are provided with a mandate from a government such as a nation, state, province or city. In many cases, public administrators are expected to work closely with stakeholders such as the residents of a city or firms in an industry. The following are common examples of public administration.

Agriculture	Ambulance Services
Arts & Culture Agencies	Building Standards
Census Bureau	Civil Rights
Coast Guard	Commerce
Courts & Justice	Customs
Customs & Border Agencies	Disability Affairs & Benefits
Economic Measurement & Analysis	Education
Emergency Management Agencies	Employment Agencies & Programs
Energy Agencies	Environmental Protection
Fire Departments	Foreign Policy
Forest Management	Geological Survey
Government Agency Oversight	Government Statistics & Data
Health & Human Services	Heritage & Historic Preservation
Housing	Immigration
Industry Regulators	Industry Standards
Information Security Agencies	Intellectual Property Rights
International Development & Assistance	International Trade
Labor Affairs	Law Enforcement
Libraries	Marine Environments & Fisheries
Military Organizations	Mint
Monetary Policy	Mortgage Agencies
National Intelligence	National Parks
Parks & Recreation	Post Office
Prisons & Corrections	Pubic Engineering
Public Affairs	Public Health
Public Hospitals	Public Infrastructure
Public Land Management	Public Records
Public Safety	Public Schools
Public Security Agencies	Public Universities
Public Utilities	Research Agencies
Rural Development	Sanitation & Waste Management
Social Security Administration	Space Agencies
Tax Authorities	Transportation
Treasury	Urban Planning
Veterans Affairs & Benefits	Weather Agencies
Youth Agencies

Each government agency typically has an independent oversight body that investigates public complaints and performs monitoring and audits. Such an agency requires the power to enforce accountability.