Traditional Features of Hungarian Public Administration
Traditional Features of Hungarian Public Administration

Summary/Abstract: There are at least two main examination aspects of Hungarian public administration and administrative law: first, the approach sketching the main features of the broader legal system and of law enforcement practice; second – almost as importantly –, the examination which describes and assesses ‘reality’ in a wider social scientific framework and through (public) policy features and processes. It shall be stated that legal approaches and analysis methods are dominant in the self-image of Hungarian public administration, in its practical operation and in its scientific description attempts. Among both the general features of the legal system reflected in administrative law and in its broader public policy features, there are some which are relatively stable – providing a high level of security even in case of certain political and legal changes. We call them “elements of our administrative heritage”:a) The first such “heritage-element” is tradition, which is kept alive by social memory and goes beyond itemized law. Today, it may be observed in deep structural continuity, in the further effects of certain civil values, and in typical ways of thinking and attitudes.b) In the second place, there is the language (linguistic) environment, the framework which – with its highly regulated nature – keeps together and, from several aspects, determines certain features of, and the dogma of public administration.c) As the third factor, we may mention the most obvious heritage-element in close relationship with the first two: institutions which are permanently present in itemized law, those specific administrative solutions which are stable and – in some cases – returning elements of Hungarian legal history. Regarding the latter, the issue of the historical constitution may be mentioned, which has become an exciting problem of “living law” in Hungary with the approval of the Fundamental Law of Hungary.Naturally, there are not only internal, but also (stable) external effects influencing public administration.

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