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H. George Frederickson, one of the field's most respected scholars, presents his own view of public adminstration in a way that enables both those new to and familiar with his work to understand the major forces affecting this rapidly changing field. In his thoughtful, in-depth search for the soul and spirit of public administration, the author examines the values that guide public administration, the politics that surround it, its roles, purposes, ethical issues, and more. He discusses the most pressing issues facing public management today and explains:
*How to define the public
*How to achieve effective public administration in a democratic political context
*How to balance efficiency, economy, and equity
*How to be an ethical public administrator
*How to be a public administrator who is a representative citizen
Frederickson shows, for example, how our definition of public administration must move beyond mere management values such as efficiency and economy to a broader concept that includes the values of citizenship, fairness, equity, justice, ethics, responsiveness, and patriotism--and thus ennoble the day-to-day practices of public work. He explains why both academic and practicing public administrators should be equally focused on federal, state, and local levels of government--and overcome media preoccupation with the national government. And he tells us how we can manage public organizations and institutions in a way that enhances the prospects for change, responsiveness, and citizen involvement--and serves all citizens fairly and benevolently.
Scholars and students of public administration theory and ethics will find that this book offers a unique, profound analysis of the values that form the foundation of public administration today. The Spirit of Public Administration, however, furthers not just our knowledge of the subject of public administration, but also our understanding of public organizations and work in public settings--and shows how public administration can be a key factor in improving the quality of government for us all.
List of contents
Introduction: Understanding Public Administration
Part One: Governance, Politics, and the Public 1. Finding the Public in Public Administration
2. The Political Context of Public Administration
3. Public Administration as Governance
Part Two: Issues of Fairness 4. The Question of Administrative Discretion
5. Fairness and Social Equity in Public Administration
6. Intergenerational Concepts of Public Administration
Part Three: Ethics, Citizenship, and Benevolence in Public Administration 7. Ethics and Public Administration
8. The Paradox of Distance and the Problem of Differentiation (with David G. Frederickson)
9. Patriotism, Benevolence, and Public Administration (with David Kirkwood Hart)
10. The Public Administrator as a Representative Citizen (with Ralph Clark Chandler)
11. Pushing Things Up to Their First Principles
About the author
H. GEORGE FREDERICKSON is Edwin O. Stene Distinguished Professor of Public Administration at the University of Kansas and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory. A Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, he received in 1992 the Dwight Waldo Award given by the American Society for Public Administration for distinguished contributions to the professional literature of public administration. In 1999, Frederickson also received from ASPA the John Gaus Distinguished Lecturer Award for a lifetime of exemplary scholarship in public administration.
