Introducing Public Administration

Now in an extensively revised tenth edition, Introducing Public Administration provides students with the conceptual foundation they need, while introducing them to important trends in the discipline. This classic textbook―blending historical accounts with contemporary events―examines the most important issues in the field of public administration through the use of examples from various disciplines and modern culture. Its approach of using extensive case studies at the end of each chapter encourages students to think critically about the nature, purpose, and public value of public administration today.

Refreshed and revised throughout, the tenth edition contains a number of critical updates for the field: All-new case studies at the end of each chapter to address various challenges, including social justice, climate change action, smart cities, transforming governmental institutions, and economic responses to the global pandemic. The case studies―many with legal dimensions as well―cover emerging issues and are well suited for further research by students. Two chapters by contributing authors on 1) Social equity and justice, covering contemporary challenges in the US, from police reform to voting rights and homelessness, and 2) Public budgeting, contrasting government fiscal efforts between two recessions, illuminating successes and failures with a case study on the federal government shutdown in 2019 over border wall funding. Keynotes at the start of each chapter to help introduce students to historical figures, contemporary dilemmas, and examples of public service in action, including subjects such as diversity and inclusion, marijuana legalization, organizational effects of remote work, and examining scenarios for the future. A completely rewritten concluding chapter on leadership, followership, and leading teams with a discussion of destructive leadership types and a flipped case study on defining what leadership effectiveness is.
Complete with a fully updated companion website containing instructor slides for each chapter, a chapter-by-chapter instructor’s manual and sample syllabus, student learning objectives, and self-test questions, Introducing Public Administration is the ideal introduction to the discipline for first year masters students, as well as for the growing number of undergraduate public administration courses and programs.