A History of Government Public Relations in the United States

This book presents a history of public relations in the modern American administrative state. Because government agencies have a democratic obligation to be open and transparent, the practice of public relations by government is qualitatively different from that in business administration and nonprofit management.The duty of government agencies to engage in public relations largely emerged during the Progressive era (1890-1920). It evolved significantly under President Franklin Roosevelt. He wanted citizens to know about New Deal programs they qualified for. During World War II, federal PR encouraged civic participation in the war effort. By the 1990s, the media's traditional coverage of government faded, requiring agencies to communicate in new ways. Government PR continued evolving in the 21st century to take advantage of advances in technology.This book relates to political science, American history, public administration, and communication/PR. It is intended as a textbook, by researchers, and for academic libraries.

About the Author :
Mordecai Lee is Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA, where he taught for 22 years. He authored 11 books and 70 articles. Lee received a PhD in public administration from Syracuse University, USA. Before joining the academy, he was legislative assistant to a Member of Congress in Washington, elected to five terms in the Wisconsin State Legislature, and executive director of a faith-based nonprofit. His academic interests are in American history, government PR, and nonprofit management. Cambridge Scholars Publishing has published four books of his writings on these subjects: The Emergence and Scope of the Voice of Government, A History of Public Administration in the United States, Congress Wrestling with the Rise of the Administrative State in the 20th Century, and A History of the American Nonprofit Sector.

Review :
'Government public relations (GPR) is a rapidly growing field, making this book particularly timely for students, faculty, and researchers. It offers a comprehensive collection of the author's most significant historical works on the history of public relations in American government. It underscores how GPR not only became integral to shaping the government's public communications, but also adapted to the digital age and the political changes of the twenty-first century, all while maintaining its distinct focus on the citizenry. This book is essential reading for students and scholars in public affairs, public policy, and public management as well as history and communication. In particular, it's a must-read for students in MPA and MPP programs.'Aroon P. ManoharanAssociate Professor, Department of Public Service, Sawyer Business School, Suffolk University, USA