Aesthetics and Public Administration: A Post-structuralist Perspective

Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and, hence, serves as the foundation of the philosophy of art. Analyzing public administration through an aesthetic lens would include the aesthetic analysis of public areas, buildings, statues, etc. I would take a more critical approach to the aestheticization of public administration through the lens of critical theory, mainly drawing from theorists such as Guy Debord and Jean Baudrillard.

In his magnum opus, The Society of Spectacle (1967), Debord argued that reality has become a collection of images and representations—we live in a society where visual impact matters the most.

“In societies where modern conditions of production prevail, all of life presents itself as an immense accumulation of spectacles. Everything that was directly lived has moved away into a representation.”

~ Guy Debord, The Society of Spectacle

The Baudrillardian concept of hyperreality, similar to Debord’s spectacle, can also be used to analyse the aesthetics of public administration. Hyperreality is a condition where the difference between simulations of reality and reality itself starts to fade away—the representation of reality starts to matter more than reality. 

Applying the concepts of Debord and Baudrillard in the sphere of public administration reveals how the bureaucratic machinery operates as a stage where mere performances of governance are enacted. This is done by carefully constructing visual narratives and spectacles to project the illusion of an efficient bureaucratic system that serves the people while hiding the underlying structural issues, inequalities, and contradictions inherent to the existing socio-economic system, thereby fooling the people into a false sense of security and maintaining the status quo. 

For example, an aesthetically pleasing railway station or artistic statues on a chowk doesn’t mean there are no problems in the administration of the railways or roadways, or just placing the images of thinkers such as B.R. Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh in a police station does not mean that the administrative system follows their ideas at all—these images are only there as a facade. 

Hyperreality in the aesthetics of public administration is also seen in the way public administrators behave and present themselves to the public by presenting a facade of confidence and in their sense of ‘dressing well and professionally.’ An excerpt from Baudrillard’s America (1989), talking about then president Ronald Reagan, reflects this particular social phenomenon:

“It is also Reagan’s smile—the culmination of the self-satisfaction of the entire American nation - which is on the way to becoming the sole principle of government. An auto-prophetic smile, like all signs in advertising. Smile and others will smile back. Smile to show how transparent, how candid you are. Smile if you have nothing to say. Most of all, do not hide the fact you have nothing to say nor your total indifference to others. Let this emptiness, this profound indifference shine out spontaneously in your smile. Give your emptiness and indifference to others, light up your face with the zero degree of joy and pleasure, smile, smile, smile. . . Americans may have no identity, but they do have wonderful teeth.”

Applying critical aesthetic theory to the architecture of public administration, we can see how the design of government buildings and public spaces often reflects the values of the ruling class and functions as a way to maintain the present state of things. Architectural features such as grandiose entrances and expansive interiors convey a sense of stability and legitimacy, and also serve as a way to intimidate the public, thereby acting as a mode of social control. 

The hyperreal facade in public administration is also reflected in things like glossy reports, sleek branding, and carefully choreographed public events. The production of visually pleasing official documents and bureaucratic language can be seen through a critical aesthetic lens. The use of dense jargon, complex syntax, and euphemisms serves to present public administration as something obscure and mysterious. This not only acts as a way to exclude the general public from meaningfully participating in public administration but also reflects and reinforces the hierarchical structures inherent to bureaucracy, where only the powerful can have access to knowledge.

Going deeper into the performative aspects of public administration, we can see how things such as ceremonial rituals and public events act as a way to maintain the existing system. These shared rituals serve to legitimize authority and reinforce collective identities—whether it be a presidential inauguration, a state funeral, or a military parade, these events are choreographed only to evoke emotions in the public and cultivate a sense of national unity, hence acting as a mode of public control. 

Concluding the above discussion, we can see how important of a role aesthetics play in the field of public administration. By performing a critical analysis, one can remove the veil of various aesthetic facades and spectacles to reveal the inherent contradictions that lie in the bureaucratic system.