Product Description
By including cases from a complex and diverse field of law, yet maintaining a concise and efficient approach, this First Edition text provides the essence of what students need to gain an understanding of public law and administration--the ruling, concurring, and dissenting opinions of cases with careful editing to emphasize chosen themes. The book successfully focuses on the evolution of public administration with context and insight into each case along the way. ... Read more

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Designed for both students and practicing administrators, this text incorporates thinking in public administration and nonprofit organization management. Coverage includes such topics as research design, specifying research problems, designing questionnaires and analyzing research data. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Detailed introductory text in research methods for public administrators
The aim of this book is straightforward (Page 9): ". . .to provide in one location information about how to design, conduct, interpret, and report on research projects. It has been written to serve as a tool for reading and writing on any administrative or social science discipline or topic." Knowing how to carry out effective research is a critical skill in public administration. This book does a decent job of giving appropriate tools for doing research.

The first part considers the foundations of research as tied to the study of public administration (and nonprofit organizations). Topics explored include the nature of the research process and ethical issues at stake in carrying out research (including human subjects issues). Part 2 introduces the reader to the research process. What are the steps in doing research? How would we formulate research problem? Finally, what design or combination of designs should we use? Qualitative? Quantitative? Or a combination?

Part 3 explores quantitative designs, including the importance of statistics, sampling, and the use of questionnaires. The next part is intimately associated with Part 3--appropriate statistics to use to analyze data that have been collected (recall: data are plural; datum is singular). Among subjects covered in this part, chapter by chapter--descriptive statistics; tables, charts, and graphs; research hypotheses; testing hypotheses about two or more groups; looking for relationships; experiments and experimental design; and--dear to the heart of those who do statistical analysis--using SPSS (a common statistics software package).

One very positive feature of this text is a lengthy discussion of qualitative research, often given short shrift in textbooks. Among techniques considered: case study; grounded theory; ethnography; action research. There follows Part 6, focusing on how to analyze qualitative data.

Of course, if you can't communicate findings effectively--no matter how powerful the research design and data analysis--then your work won't likely have the desired impact. So, Part 7 addresses how to prepare and present research findings.

The writing is functional, but don't expect a soaring literary product. The detailed focus on qualitative methods is a real plus. All in all, a good, solid textbook.

k's review and response
As a reader and a graduating student of Master of Public Admin program, I find this book is very helpful and well written. Even though there are some minor mistakes in its editing (which is commonly seen in modern publication & I should note the version of the book I possess does not have the error which someone pointed out on pg 94.I am not sure how that is possible since my copy is a first edition.), the book provides understandable, useful, comprehensive and detail-orientated understanding of various research methods to its readers.It is especially helpful to those who actually apply quantitative and qualitative research methods in their daily work. This doesn't mean that the book is lacking in theological foundations for its readers. In fact, part 1 & 2 of the book did a good job analyzing some "ground roles" of social research methods. As well, future sections expand on this in-depth introduction to the theories of different approaches. Social research is a very controversial subject matter; there are still many existing debates about whether social research is scientific. Indeed, the author always tries not to fool readers by only providing a singular understanding of concepts. If this is interpreted as "making no sense," then, one may think that $73.93 costs too much. This book is so rich and juicy in both theological and practical ways; one may think it is somewhat too conceptual. However, the concepts are not the creation of the author. Furthermore, one who believes it to be too conceptual should ask himself/herself whether the world itself is too conceptual to understand or if he/she is just too na?ve(..)

Outstanding Research Book
I concur with the reader from San Francisco.I was lost until this book was assigned.Finally an author who doesn't ramble on for chapters without say anything.McNabb is to the point and explains quantitative and qualitative approaches with ease.This is what most students dream of.The book is excellent, even considering the typos and mispelled words.

-2nd Year MPA, The Evergreen State College.

Typos And Misspellings Abound
In terms of subject matter I found this book very hard to approach.I received my Bachelors from Indiana University Bloomington and completed roughly 7 courses in scientific reasoning, statistics, survey design etc. Numerous concepts make little to no sense in light of scientific reasoning (which may make sense in administrative reasoning ahem or lack there of), and the author seems to define research methods as he sees fit.But I admit some people may enjoy a new method etc so if this were my only concern it would be a minor annoyance.But here is the major problem, in my version of this text there are major typos and misspellings on roughly every third page.I don't just mean embedded in the text.There is a bold 16 inch font heading entitled Cambined Research Designs -see page 94.If I submitted a paper with even two or three similar typos for grading I would have been lucky to receive a C.Look elsewhere unless you are a real glutton for punishment or are interested in studying American stupidity of the late twentieth and early twenty first century.

Best Research Book Out There!
This is the best book out there for PA and NPO students and professionals! It is a easy read, with lot's of explanations and definiations. This book is for the beginner, it's laid out very well, in and easy to understand fashion. I was lost until I found this book.
- SFSU MPA graduate student ... Read more

Product Description

Written by a leading authority in the field, this comprehensive exploration of the political and policy-making roles of public bureaucracies is now available in a fully revised sixth edition, offering extensive, well documented comparative analysis of the effects of politics on bureaucracy.

New to the 6^th edition:

• More international case studies on North America, Western and Eastern European and Asian countries.
• Discussion of how governments have been developing strategies to enhance co-ordination and coherence across their programmes.
• Analysis of the use of performance management in public administration.
• More tables, case studies and internet links.
• Extensive revision and updating to take into account the wealth of new literature that has emerged in recent years, including a discussion of E-Governance and analysis of ‘new public management’.

Drawing on evidence from a wide variety of political systems, The Politics of Bureaucracy continues to be essential reading for all students of government, policy analysis, and politics and international relations.

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent
The order came on time and in a perfect condition. I am very happy with that. Lots of thanks. ... Read more

Product Description
This dynamic exploration of public administration illuminates the complexity of governing in the twenty-first century. As a starting point, Johnson discusses the government s response to Hurricane Katrina and what that effort reveals about the role of government in society, how government should best be organized, the extent of public-private cooperation necessary to respond to natural disasters, and the assessment and management of risk. The author notes that although the events of August 2005 provide plenty of examples of government failure, they also demonstrate how administrators can learn to be better decision makers and collaborators. Public Administration surveys the key concepts and underpinnings of American governance, drawing on classic works as well as current issues and events. Working from the premise that no significant government enterprise takes place within the boundaries of any one organization, the text illustrates the collaborative process through which public policy is shaped by networks of organizations with diverse missions and certain common purposes. Throughout, Johnson emphasizes the role of public administrators in forming and maintaining the partnerships that advance the goals of government. Each chapter has been thoroughly updated, while boxed features throughout the text provide fresh examples of public administration in practice. From metropolitan area transit planning, to the Border Patrol s contracts with private technology firms, to computerized neighborhood environment tracking, to state government attempts to address the global warming issue, Johnson provides numerous topical examples of the myriad forms of collaboration between administrators, the private sector, and the general public. Not-for-sale instructor resource material available to college and university faculty only; contact publisher directly. ... Read more

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This work gives readers an understanding of how the societal context of public administration is crucial to the success of the practitioner. It covers the key issues of past and present for public service professionals in a democratic society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A concise, informative, and balanced reading!
The book puts public administration into historical context (which is very important and often overlooked), specifically relating to the U.S. Constitution and America's founding, and balances it nicely with models of public administration and current trends. Also, it is an "easy" read, not written in the scholarly style that makes hard reading often associated with collegiate books. ... Read more

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What do public administrators and policy analysts have in common? Their work is undertaken within networks formed when different organizations align to accomplish some kind of policy function. To be effective, they must find ways to navigate complexity and generate effective results. Governance Networks in Public Administration and Public Policy describes a variety of trends and movements that have contributed to the complexity of these systems and the challenges that must be faced as a result.

Providing a theoretical and empirical foundation in governance networks, the book offers a conceptual framework for describing governance networks and provides a holistic way to conceive their construction. The text details the skills and functions of public administrators in the context of networked relationships and presents the theoretical foundations to analyze governance networks. It identifies the reforms and trends in governing that led to governance networks, explains the roles that various actors take on through networked relationships, highlights the challenges involved in the failure of networked activities, and illustrates how policy tools are mobilized by these relationships.

Be a part of building governance networks 2.0!

The author’s website contains support materials such as PowerPoint® presentations, writable case study templates, and other useful items related to building the field’s capacity to describe, evaluate, and design governance networks using the framework of this book. You can post case studies of governance networks, draw on other’s case study materials, and learn about research and educational opportunities.

Based on research and real-life experience, the book highlights the interplay between public actors and policy tools. The authors demystify this complex topic of governance networks and explore the practical applications of the conceptual framework. Practical and accessible, the book presents concepts in such a way that readers can engage in these ideas, apply them, and deepen their understanding of the dynamics unfolding around them.

Customer Reviews (1)

POTUS
Perhaps the best policy book ever!Inspirational and insightful. A constant companion and trusted reference of mine.I would never set policy without it.Would love to see a kindle version too.Thank you, sirs, may I have another? ... Read more

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Develop an understanding of how values connote principles, goals, or standards that an individual, class, organization, or society holds dear with this affordable CENGAGE ADVANTAGE BOOKS version of PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: CLASHING VALUES IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC POLICY.This textbook uses a "clash of values" approach that gets to the heart of how administrators make decisions and implement public policy. Case studies and examples capture the intricacies of this unique area of political science. You'll alsoinvestigate the role public administrators play throughout the policy process, including targeting a problem, placing it on the government's agenda, structuring the alternatives that elected officials use, implementing public policy through the programs and procedures they largely determine, and finally, evaluating the success or failure of a policy. Finally, you'll explore the reorganization of the national bureaucracies following the 9/11 attacks that prompted the enactment of the PATRIOT Act and the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Find another book!
This is by far a horrible book to explain and provide examples of public administration. Thank goodness for experienced professors! I urge you to find another textbook to use in regards to the basics of public administration. The layout of this book is not good, text is confusing and examples in some cases are irrelevant. I'm a PA major 4th year, please hear me out.

Very good broad public administrative review
Excellent overview of past-to-present public administrative theory and practice.Used for a graduate level class, and unfortunately the only book that even came close to that expected level of reading.Recommend as a basic book for the public administrator.Covers nearly two hundred years of public administrative theory and practice.Most selections are easy to read, and are set up both historically and functionally/catagorically. ... Read more

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In addition to addressing the basics, American Public Administration: Public Service for the 21st Century stands out from other books in the market by offering a broader context in which to understand public administration and by devoting comprehensive coverage to current topics and trends, many of which are given chapter-length treatment (e.g., civil society, privatization, management information systems, and ethics). The most recent and compelling research is woven throughout every chapter to give students a useful, in-depth understanding of the field today. Real-world case studies and vignettes, helpful chapter pedagogy, an abundance of charts and graphs, and numerous Web listings help students learn and engage them in the text. ... Read more

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Since the publication of the previous edition, the best-selling Handbook of Public Administration enters its third edition with substantially revised, updated, and expanded coverage of public administration history, theory, and practice.

Edited by preeminent authorities in the field, this work is unparalleled in its thorough coverage and comprehensive references. This handbook examines the major areas in public administration including public budgeting and financial management, human resourcemanagement, decision making, public law and regulation, and political economy. Providing a strong platform for further research and advancement in the field, this book is a necessity for anyone involved in public administration, policy, and management.

This edition includes entirely new chapters on information technology and conduct of inquiry. In each area of public administration, there are two bibliographic treatises written from different perspectives. The first examines the developments in the field. The second analyzes theories, concepts, or ideas in the field’s literature. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Comprehensive treatment of PA
This is a very comprehensive treatment of most of the issues one will encounter in the study of Public Administration (PA). It is about 3" thick, so you get your money's worth. It covers PA History, Org Theory, Budgeting and Finance, Decision making, HR, Intergovernmental Relations/Federalism, Public Law, Pedagogy, IT, Research, Political Economy, and the practice of PA - as well as a few other areas. This would be a great book for a survey class or as a foundation for further study. The layout is very nice too, and made it easy to find things and easy to read. There are shorter books which cover the same ground, but those are more like bullet point outlines when compared to this one. If you wanted one book to cover the landscape, this is it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Bureaucracy and Democracy Dichotomy
In this book, the public choice theorist V. Ostrom examines the intellectual crisis in American public administration that he believes has turned out following the political scandals such as Watergate.

The author dichotomizes the democratic administration and bureaucratic administration. Bureaucratic administration, originated with Weber and Wilson, is associated with a system of "good" administration that is hierarchically ordered in a system of graded ranks subject to political direction by heads of departments at the center of government (p. 24). The bureaucratic administration is assumed to produce efficient results and also makes the government responsible, as opposed to fragmented authority, in that it will be possible to show clearly who is the responsible when failures occurred. Democratic administration, according to Ostrom, is associated with fragmentation of authority and overlapping jurisdictions, and represents the opposite of bureaucratic administration based on unitary command of authority. To Ostrom, democratic administration, indulging fragmented authority and overlapping jurisdictions, is that what founding fathers of the United States deliberately envisioned. Ostrom believes that Wilsonian paradigm of bureaucratic administration has changed the nature of American public administration by leading to numerous reforms that aimed to strengthen the President and by overcoming "fragmented authority and overlapping jurisdictions" with the promise to "make the government more responsible and efficient in solving the problems of the society (i.e., war on poverty). Ostrom explains how the centralization of power in the Executive branch created unfortunate problems that have consumed the trust of citizens in government that divulges itself in the fact that half of the registered voters don't bother to voting any longer.

Ostrom attacks bureaucratic administration excellently in a way that I cannot counter-argue. However, I found his Simon interpretation irrelevant and distorted in that Ostrom shows Simon as if he was the first person who challenged bureaucratic administration-although students of Simon know very well Simon did not challenge bureaucratic administration but asserted that when principles (proverbs) of classical administrative theory contradict each other (for example, efficiency and unity of command principles) we are not given any guidelines for priority ranking, that is, Simon proposed a comprehensive administrative theory. However, it was nice to hear a different interpretation of Simon!

The point made by Ostrom is that centralization or concentration of power does not always produce "efficient" results, "efficiency" changes from one situation to another. Also, Ostrom attacks the false logic of bureaucratic administration, oriented toward efficiency, with the reason that it is interested only in "supply side" at the expense and ignorance of "demand side". The emphasis, he makes, is that each decision structure has advantages and disadvantages and when determining one of the decision structures we must calculate and weigh these advantages and disadvantages.

For Ostrom, concentrating of power in the hand of the Executive branch and dis-empowering the other branches beget what today we call "symbolic politics": "The Executive offices of the President would then become the `efficient' part of the government; the Congress, the courts, the statehouses, and the other centers of authority would become the `dignified' parts of government relieved of their other burdens of work so that they can devote themselves largely to the ceremonial functions of government" (p. 126). Ostrom reminds us the self-fulfilling prophecy of Rousseau "One who believes himself the master of others is nonetheless a greater slave than they" (p. 146).

In the final part of the book, Ostrom explains the guidelines (say theoretical framework) that will "help" us determine the appropriate decision structures under specific circumstances.

Overall, this book is great in its challenge to bureaucratic administration, however I don't believe that the alternative to bureaucratic administration is "public choice" under the name of democratic administration. Highly recommended classic. ... Read more

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In this field-defining, broad approach to the study and practice of public administration, H. George Frederickson, one of the field's most respected scolars, carefully measures the meets and bounds of public administration and fixes its place in the context of changing politics, values, and ethics. He describes a robust and exciting public administration that includes, but is much more than, effective government management. The Spirit of Public Administration defines an ethic for the field that illustrates:

• What the differences are between public administration and government administration, and how these differences redefine the field
• How to practice ethical and energetic public administration in the context of contemporary politics
• Why fairness and benevolence are as important as efficiency and economy
• What implications are evident in the transition from government to governance

Customer Reviews (2)

One month past and still don't have it!!!!
The book actually is pretty good and I know this because I had to purchase it somewhere else.I ordered the book on 8/18/09 and I still don't have it.The response I received when looking for the book was "it was being sent media mail and was within its delivery date".I order online alot and have never heard of this type of shipping, especially a book.I am assuming it is in someone's backpack and they are walking it across the country to deliver it to me personally.I ordered two other books at the same time and received them within the week.I will not order from this source again.I will be sending the book back as soon as it hits my doorstep and not via media mail.

The Doom of Public Under High-Pressure Business Rhetoric
Management is management everywhere, in public or private organization,but the principles you must be loyal to, the context you are faced with, and certainly means to be used depend on the setting, where you are in.So far, much was written about creating high-performance government organizations by making public organizations much more like business, that is, it was thought to apply business- oriented models to government organizations. This process gained the moment with the splendid study, reinventing government,of Osborne and Gaebler,. Following this book, lots ofbook took the turn to advance the reinventing voice and as time passed, incredible propositions were presented in order to transform public sector into a new structure similar to that of profit sector.

This book is an investigation on the spirit of public administration. Professor Frederickson tries to persuade readers about why public administration should be thought of and approached to differently. The relationship of public administration with democratic principles is told in the book. In classic public administration theory, much emphasis was given to efficiency, economy and effectiveness and these performance guides were accepted as surrogates to evaluate how much public organizations are successful. Given this, public administrators were assigned the role to implement policy decisions, imposed by elected officials, with the maximum efficiency and economy. Author tells that these are important, but not sufficient, and another third surrogate -EQUALITY- must be added. Not only equality betweenpeople of today generation, but also between future and today generation is considered important.

Recent years witnessed an increasing accentuation in literature on governmental ethics partly due to ethical breaches increment in last years. Author explains these ethical transgressions with the increasing privatization, contracting out (outsourcing), third-party government. To prove this, author presents research findings and literature sources. According to the author, increasing privatization substitutes “idealism” with “careerism”. Resulting from this radical shift, private benefits and values dwarf ideals of public administration based mostly “patriotism of benevolence”.

Author strongly advocates that public organization is efficient and effective at least as is business organization. Bureaucrat-bashing reformist rhetoric created some prejudices about public organizations in the minds of citizens and caused people think that public organizations are unnecessary burdens on whole society although people are glad from their close relationships with public organizations in their neighborhood. This is explained in the book with the term “distance of paradox”. People do not make a distinction between public officials and elected officials and both are gathered in one category, which is “public”. Failure of political officials is connected to whole public sector, elected or appointed. It is not seen as surprise that officials who are involved in corruption are generally officials appointed by elected officials (politicians), according to the author. Second, bureaucrat-bashing propaganda of politicians and attitude of media shape the approach of citizens about public organizations and officials remote from their neighborhoods.

Author discusses the meaning of “neutrality” of public officials in the context of democratic society. According to the author, neutrality does not mean that public officials must follow government policy with eyes shut. Neutrality means non-partisan policy implementation by placingdemocratic valuesto the center of public service as essential guide and inalienable factor for efficiency or economy....

I would like to contribute to what author thinks about corruption in government. In the book, it is accepted that increasing corruption in public sector is related to erosion in values. But I think that ominous economic status of public officials should be taken into consideration to logically comment on corruption in public sector, especially in third-world countries.

That I reviewed above included only most important considerations that I needed to relate. You will find much more such as governance, high citizenship, intergenerational equality, the role of courts in democratic government and so on in the book. I believe that this book is an invaluable study and instigates readers to think on “PUBLIC” more deeply. Highly recommended. ... Read more

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This concise, current, down-to-earth text introduces readers to the dynamics of the public sector. In the ninth edition, all new case studies link theory to the real-world practice of public administration. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Quick Delivery, perfect condition
Shipment was prompt, payment process was quick and simple, and the condition of the book was excellent.

Skewed.
This book is very skewed to the right.Superficial and disappointing, frankly.Had to read it for a class.It spent a dozen or so pages lamenting the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal and had nothing but praise for Reagan and Bush.

Not the best!
I spent quite a bit of time with this book as it was required for a class I was taking.It tends not to go into enough depth or have specific enough examples. ... Read more

Product Description
Is public administration an art or a science? This question of whether the field is driven by values or facts will never be definitively answered due to a lack of consensus among scholars. The resulting divide has produced many heated debates; however, in this pioneering volume, Norma Riccucci embraces the diversity of research methods rather than suggesting that there is one best way to conduct research in public administration. "Public Administration" examines the intellectual origins and identity of the discipline of public administration, its diverse research traditions, and how public administration research is conducted today. The book's intended purpose is to engage reasonable-minded public administration scholars and professionals in a dialogue on the importance of heterogeneity in epistemic traditions, and to deepen the field's understanding and acceptance of its epistemological scope. This important book will provide a necessary overview of the discipline for graduate students and scholars. ... Read more

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Since the first edition of Public Administration and Law was published in 1983, it has retained its unique status of being the only book in the field of public administration that analyzes how constitutional law regulates and informs the way administrators interact with each other and the public. Examining First, Fourth, Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights as they pertain to these encounters, it explains how public administrators must do their jobs and how administrative systems must operate in order to comply with constitutional law.

Explores the conflicts between laws

The book begins by presenting a historical account of the way constitutional and administrative law have incrementally "retrofitted" public agencies into the nation’s constitutional design. It examines the federal judiciary’s impact on federal administration and the effect of the nation’s myriad environmental laws on public administration. Next, it focuses on the role of the individual as a client and customer of public agencies. In a discussion of the Fourth Amendment, it examines street-level encounters between citizens and law enforcement agents. Responding to the rise of the new public management (NPM), it also adds, for the first time in this edition, a chapter that analyzes the rights of the individual not only as a government employee but also as a government contractor.

Enhanced with numerous references

The final chapters of the book address issues concerning the rights of inmates in administrative institutions and balancing the need to protect individual rights with the ability of agencies to function effectively. Supplemented with case citations and lists of articles, books, and documents, this text is designed to facilitate further study in a constantly evolving area.

About the Authors:

David H. Rosenbloom, Ph.D. is Distinguished Professor of Public Administration in the School of Public Affairs at American University in Washington, D.C., and Chair Professor of Public Management at City University of Hong Kong. Rosemary O’Leary, Ph.D., J.D. is Distinguished Professor of Public Administration and the Howard G. and S. Louise Phanstiel Chair in Strategic Management and Leadership at Syracuse University. Joshua M. Chanin, M.P.A., J.D. is a Ph.D. candidate in Public Administration and Justice, Law, and Society in the School of Public Affairs at American University in Washington, D.C.