The Shadow of Power: Totalitarianism in Public Administration and the Crisis of Civic Life.

This research critically explores the structural transformation of modern public administration into an instrument for political hegemony and systemic coercion, shifting away from the traditional view of bureaucracy as a neutral service provider. By synthesizing Hannah Arendt’s theory of totalitarianism, Max Weber’s ‘Iron Cage,’ and Sheldon Wolin’s ‘Inverted Totalitarianism,’ this study theorizes the ‘administrative capture’ of civic life. Through a comparative qualitative analysis of governance models—ranging from absolute control in China and North Korea to the ‘Hybrid Regimes’ of South Asia—it illustrates how algorithmic governance and digital surveillance hollow out democratic substance while maintaining formal institutional facades. The findings contribute to public administration theory by proposing a multidimensional framework to recognize administrative absolutism in the digital epoch. The study concludes that safeguarding democratic values necessitates a critical shift toward administrative autonomy, digital literacy, and heightened civic consciousness to counter-hegemonic administrative overreach.
By synthesizing Alasdair Roberts’ 'Large Forces' perspective and Karen Kunz’s critique of structural erasure, this research challenges the discipline’s focus on intra-organizational behavior. It re-contextualizes Algorithmic Administrative Absolutism (AAA) as a macro-sociopolitical transformation, necessitating a shift from administrative efficiency to democratic resilience.

Totalitarianism, Digital Authoritarianism, Administrative Capture, Inverted Totalitarianism, Civic Life.

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