Public Administration

In the Portuguese framework, reforms in public management were shaped by two major events. The first event was the 1974 Revolution characterized by forty years of corporatist and dictatorial regime. The second event was the 1986 European Union member integration. The two regimes entailed a critical transformation from state oriented, closed, oligarchical, and highly controlled society to a citizen oriented, democratic and open society that placed great value on individual initiatives and freedom. As a result, reforms in public management became a realistic movement in Portugal. This was mostly because the modernization procedure continued regardless of party lines and political changes. This suggests that dynamic continuity entails the strength of the modernized Portuguese public administration. Such dynamic continuity refers to the process of reforms based on previous mistakes and experience. This was achieved through balancing actions and using new tools and strategies to adapt to new situations and...
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