This article analyzes the objective and subjective characteristics of the public administration. The research carried out tries to answer partially to the question why the activity of public administration authorities does not always correspond to the expectations of the citizens and causes them dissatisfaction. The research results demonstrate that the objective characteristics of the public administration are determined by the genesis, the purpose and the mission that the public administration has. With regard to the subjective characteristics of public administration, they are conditioned by the fact that public administration is done by people and for people. In order to diminish the subjectivism in the public administration, it is necessary to put the accent on the professionalization of the civil service, the accountability of the civil servants, the transparency of the decision-making process and the involvement of citizens in the governance process.