Public Administration or Law Enforcement — The Debate

Abstract

In scientific public life researchers and scientists frequently have discourses on theoretical and practical questions and problems. The same happened in the law enforcement versus civil service debate, when in 1896 in the 3rd May issue of the journal Hungarian Civil Service Mihály Kiss explained that civil service evolved from law enforcement and the research of law enforcement theory led to the foundation of administrative law theory. Dezső Falcsik reflected on Mihály Kiss’ writing: “law enforcement is a branch of civil service that takes preventive action against obstacles which prevent the state from achieving its aims.” Although the debate ended in Civil Service, it is still present in academic cicles like an underground stream.