2. The journey from Westphalia to Philadelphia

‘The journey from Westphalia to Philadelphia’ provides a historical overview of the Anglo-American administrative traditions that have shaped contemporary administrative systems. It discusses the foundations of the modern state and the emergence of popular sovereignty, which provides the roots for the political philosophy underpinning modern democratic administrative systems in countries such as Britain, the United States, France, and India. It also explains that ‘public’ administration, as distinct from other forms of civil administration, is interconnected with democratic governance. The origins of contemporary governance and administration are popularly attributed to the birth of the modern state that emerged with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.