On May 28, 2025, the Fudan Institute for Global Public Policy (IGPP) organized the 22nd lecture of the Fudan-Arab Lecture Series. Emeritus Professor Bert Rockman from Purdue University delivered a lecture on the theme of The Rise and Fall of the Administrative State in America. The session was chaired by Dean Yijia Jing of IGPP.

Professor Rockman was the University Professor in the Political Science Department at the University of Pittsburgh and Director of the School of Public Policy and Management at the Ohio State University. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and received the Richard E. Neustadt Award for best book on the U.S. Presidency and the Herbert Simon Award for Scientific Contributions to the Study of Bureaucracy. Professor Jing presented Professor Rockman with the “Best Guest Editor” certificate from the Global Public Policy and Governance in recognition of his outstanding contributions as guest editor of the 2022 special issue on “Global Populism and Governance.”

At the beginning of the lecture, Professor Rockman focused on the ambiguities in the 1787 U.S. Constitution, noting that its limited provisions regarding executive power left room for subsequent institutional evolution. He illustrated the divergent yet complementary governance philosophies of three founding figures—Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison. Building on this, Professor Rockman briefly reviewed the logic behind the development of the U.S. administrative state. Drawing on Weber’s theory of bureaucracy, he noted that professional bureaucrats embody the “principle of reality,” while political leaders reflect the “principle of vision,” with the tension between the two constituting a defining feature of American administrative development.

Subsequently, Professor Rockman reviewed the evolution and ongoing debates on the administrative state since the 20th century. He discussed efforts to centralize executive power during the Nixon and Reagan administrations, the “Reinventing Government” reforms under the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration’s emphasis on the “unitary executive theory.” These initiatives have continually reshaped the relationship between the presidency and the bureaucratic system. Building on this, Professor Rockman examined the disruptions introduced by the Trump administration. He emphasized that the future of the administrative state involves questions of governance efficiency and the preservation of democratic norms. In closing, he called on scholars, public administrators, and civil society to work together in maintaining a balance among executive authority, professional bureaucracy, and political leadership to safeguard the neutrality and accountability of the administrative system.

During the Q&A session, faculty and students engaged in discussions on topics such as presidential power and the tensions of federalism. Professor Rockman noted that while the administrative system possesses institutional inertia, it continually interacts with leaders, legal frameworks, and societal demands. He emphasized that balancing professional governance with public expectations is a critical challenge that contemporary democracies must address.

After the lecture, Professor Jing presented a commemorative gift to Professor Rockman. The event concluded with a group photo of the faculty and students.