The Next Public Administration: Debates and Dilemmas

Written by two of the leading scholars in the field, this book explores public administration in the past, present and future, critically reviewing the modernization of public management reform. It reasserts public administration as an integral component of democratic governance and fostering a state-citizen relationship. Wide-ranging in scope, The Next Public Administration: Extends basic public administration to consider issues associated with management, governance and democracy Covers core public administration concepts and their evolution through time Draws on an international spread of examples, bringing theoretical discussions to life Includes lists of further reading Essential reading for students of public management and public administration.

Table of Contents:
Public Administration in democratic governance Management and Administration Bureaucrats versus Service Providers: Personnel in the Public Sector Neutrality and Responsiveness Fragmentation and Strategy Simplicity vs. Complexity: Programs and Implementation Rationality versus Routine: How Do Public Organizations Make Decisions? Autonomy vs. Integration Rationality vs. Incrementalism: Funding Public Organizations Authority vs. Democracy Conclusions: The New Public Administration References

About the Author :
B. Guy Peters is Maurice Falk Professor of American Government at the University of Pittsburgh. He has written extensively in the areas of public administration and public policy, both for the United States and comparatively. Among his recent publications are the Handbook of Public Administration and The Quest for Control: Politicization of the Public Service. I am a research professor in the department of political science, University of Gothenburg. I am also adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh and at the Nordland University in Bodö, Norway. I have held numerous overseas visiting appointments, most recently at the City University of Hong Kong, University of Melbourne and University of Auckland.

Review :
Peters and Pierre provide students and scholars alike with an agile, in-depth, highly effective presentation of key themes in public administration, management and governance. For each topic they show us the roots in the past, the contemporary issues, the challenges ahead. A must-read. This book constitutes a good literature source for an advanced undergraduate and graduate audience. I consider Peters and Peirre work to be particularly fit for levelling the heterogeneity of the student base education. The topics are all relevant, in particular, to graduate students and the book is well balanced between theory and application.