84 Best Public Administration Books of All Time
We've researched and ranked the best public administration books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more
Featuring recommendations from Neil deGrasse Tyson, Steve Blank, Reid Hoffman, and 20 other experts. 1
For more than two thousand years, The Art of War has stood as a cornerstone of Chinese culture-a lucid epigrammatic text that reveals as much about human psychology, politics, and economics as it does about battlefield strategy. The influence of Sun-tzu's text has grown tremendously in the West in recent years, with military leaders, politicians, and corporate executives alike finding valuable insight in these ancient words. In his crisp, accessible new translation, scholar John Minford brings this seminal work to life for modern readers.
Minford opens with a lively,... more
Minford opens with a lively,... more
Reid HoffmanReid read Carl von Clausewitz and Sun Tzu as a boy, which informed his strategic thinking. (Source)
Neil deGrasse TysonWhich books should be read by every single intelligent person on planet? [...] The Art of War (Sun Tsu) [to learn that the act of killing fellow humans can be raised to an art]. If you read all of the above works you will glean profound insight into most of what has driven the history of the western world. (Source)
Evan SpiegelAfter meeting Mark Zuckerberg, [Evan Spiegel] immediately bought every [Snapchat] employee a copy of 'The Art Of War'. (Source)
2
This book is about the power of communication to do great harm and how civic leaders and engaged citizens can hold other leaders accountable to prevent it. Author Helio Fred Garcia focuses on the language President Trump uses that conditions an audience to accept, condone, and commit violence against a targeted group, rival, or critic.
Including a history of such rhetoric, this book identifies a playbook consisting of 12 forms of communication that typically precede genocides and other acts of mass violence. The Rwandan Hutu used 10, the Nazis used all 12, and Trump uses all 12... more
Including a history of such rhetoric, this book identifies a playbook consisting of 12 forms of communication that typically precede genocides and other acts of mass violence. The Rwandan Hutu used 10, the Nazis used all 12, and Trump uses all 12... more
3
Public Policy: A Concise Introduction, by Sara R. Rinfret, Denise Scheberle, and Michelle C. Pautz, is a student-friendly primer that quickly connects readers to the inner workings of public policy. The text condenses early chapters on theory and the policy-making process, allowing students to take up key policy challenges--such as immigration, education, and health care--much earlier in the semester. Structured chapter layouts of substantive policy areas allow instructors to supplement with their own examples seamlessly. The book's emphasis on policy choices asks students to... more
4
Perfect body. Perfect swing. Perfect swagger.
They call Dash Wallace the Diamond King.
He’s the hottest commodity in baseball and in the bedroom.
When he runs the bases, every woman’s eyes are glued to his stunning body and a smile that puts the night lights to shame.
I’m no queen. I’m a regular girl with a regular job. I just watch him on TV and from the bleachers, season after season.
Girls like me grab a guy like that one in a million times.
My number just came up, and he is as spectacular in bed as he is on the field.
But there’s not a woman in the... more
They call Dash Wallace the Diamond King.
He’s the hottest commodity in baseball and in the bedroom.
When he runs the bases, every woman’s eyes are glued to his stunning body and a smile that puts the night lights to shame.
I’m no queen. I’m a regular girl with a regular job. I just watch him on TV and from the bleachers, season after season.
Girls like me grab a guy like that one in a million times.
My number just came up, and he is as spectacular in bed as he is on the field.
But there’s not a woman in the... more
7
The acclaimed author of
Turn the Ship Around!
teaches leaders a better way to communicate and bring out the best in their people.
In Turn the Ship Around!, former U.S. Navy Captain David Marquet explained the empowering leadership strategy he developed with great success while commanding the nuclear submarine USS Santa Fe. That book generated passionate word-of-mouth, was named one of USA Today's 12 best business books of all time, and made Marquet a globally recognized leadership expert. His "Intent-Based... more
In Turn the Ship Around!, former U.S. Navy Captain David Marquet explained the empowering leadership strategy he developed with great success while commanding the nuclear submarine USS Santa Fe. That book generated passionate word-of-mouth, was named one of USA Today's 12 best business books of all time, and made Marquet a globally recognized leadership expert. His "Intent-Based... more
10
With this newly expanded eighth edition of CLASSICS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, authors Jay M. Shafritz and Albert C. Hyde introduce students to the principles of public administration via the most significant scholarly writings on the topic. Straightforward and informative, this text begins its discussion with Confucius in ancient China and continues to today's political scientists. This edition includes 17 new readings and addresses the key fields of public administration: bureaucracy, organization theory, human resources management, the budgetary process, public policy, implementation,... more
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11
The fundamentals of public administration, from the world's leading practitioners Handbook of Public Administration is the classic, comprehensive guide to the field, featuring original writings from the world's foremost public administration thought leaders and practitioners. Intended to help both public administration students and practitioners navigate administrative challenges, overcome obstacles, and improve effectiveness, this guide provides a complete overview of the entire field. The information is organized into seven parts representing key domains of knowledge and... more
12
101 Careers in Healthcare Management, Second Edition continues to be the only comprehensive guide to careers in health administration, ranging from entry-level management positions to the most senior executive opportunities. The second edition has been updated throughout and includes three new chapters that will assist students and healthcare managers alike. Additional content includes a quick historical overview of the field including its growth and transformation, essential traits that will prepare a professional for career change and advancement, and a call for new leadership... more
13
Gerald Garvey provides a fascinating look inside the federal bureaucracy and offers insights into the forces, personalities, and politicking that make changing governmental institutions so difficult. less
14
William J. Bernstein’s A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World, an Economist and Financial Times Best Book of the Year, placed him firmly among the top flight of historians like Jared Diamond and Bill Bryson, capable of distilling major trends and reams of information into insightful, globe-spanning popular narrative.
Bernstein explains how new communication technologies and in particular our access to them, impacted human society. Writing was born thousands of years ago in Mesopotamia. Spreading to Sumer, and then Egypt, this revolutionary tool... more
Bernstein explains how new communication technologies and in particular our access to them, impacted human society. Writing was born thousands of years ago in Mesopotamia. Spreading to Sumer, and then Egypt, this revolutionary tool... more
15
Monica Sharma describes how we can source our inner capacities and wisdom to manifest change that embodies universal values such as dignity, compassion, fairness, and courage. Drawing on more than twenty years of work for the United Nations and elsewhere, she presents a radical new approach to transformational leadership, one that creates systems of change where everyone can engage--not just analysts and policy-makers. Demonstrating that we all can be architects of a new humanity, Monica demystifies policy-making, planning, and implementation so that everyone can play an informed and... more
16
From the former chief economist of the FCC, a remarkable history of the U.S. government’s regulation of the airwaves
Popular legend has it that before the Federal Radio Commission was established in 1927, the radio spectrum was in chaos, with broadcasting stations blasting powerful signals to drown out rivals. In this fascinating and entertaining history, Thomas Winslow Hazlett, a distinguished scholar in law and economics, debunks the idea that the U.S. government stepped in to impose necessary order. Instead, regulators blocked competition at the behest of incumbent... more
Popular legend has it that before the Federal Radio Commission was established in 1927, the radio spectrum was in chaos, with broadcasting stations blasting powerful signals to drown out rivals. In this fascinating and entertaining history, Thomas Winslow Hazlett, a distinguished scholar in law and economics, debunks the idea that the U.S. government stepped in to impose necessary order. Instead, regulators blocked competition at the behest of incumbent... more
18
More than 250,000 public sector managers in the United States take on new positions each year and many more aspire to leadership. Each will confront special challenges--from higher public profiles to a greater number of stakeholders to volatile political environments--that will make their transitions even more challenging than in the business world. Now Michael D. Watkins, author of the best-selling book The First 90 Days, applies his proven leadership transition framework to the public sector. Watkins and co-author Peter H. Daly address the crucial differences between the private and... more
19
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many questioned whether the large number of political appointees in the Federal Emergency Management Agency contributed to the agency's poor handling of the catastrophe, ultimately costing hundreds of lives and causing immeasurable pain and suffering. The Politics of Presidential Appointments examines in depth how and why presidents use political appointees and how their choices impact government performance--for better or worse.
One way presidents can influence the permanent bureaucracy is by filling key posts with people who are... more
One way presidents can influence the permanent bureaucracy is by filling key posts with people who are... more
20
In what is widely considered the most influential book ever written by Walter Lippmann, the late journalist and social critic provides a fundamental treatise on the nature of human information and communication. As Michael Curtis indicates in his introduction to this edition. Public Opinion qualifies as a classic by virtue of its systematic brilliance and literary grace. The work is divided into eight parts, covering such varied issues as stereotypes, image making, and organized intelligence. The study begins with an analysis of "the world outside and the pictures in our heads, " a leitmotif... more
Lorraine AdamsIt was written in 1922 and is an insider’s view of how news is made. That is, news is a made thing. News is not facts. (Source)
David GreenbergWhen Lippmann wrote this book he had become disillusioned with aspects of democratic theory that assumed citizens could be fully rational and knowledgeable in making up their minds about public issues. (Source)
Don't have time to read the top Public Administration books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
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21
Two men played a crucial role in the creation and early history of the National Park Service: Stephen T. Mather, a public relations genius of sweeping vision, and Horace M. Albright, an able lawyer and administrator who helped transform that vision into reality.
In Creating the National Park Service, Albright and his daughter, Marian Albright Schenck, reveal the previously untold story of the critical "missing years" in the history of the service. During this period, 1917 and 1918, Mather’s problems with manic depression were kept hidden from public view, and Albright, his able and... more
In Creating the National Park Service, Albright and his daughter, Marian Albright Schenck, reveal the previously untold story of the critical "missing years" in the history of the service. During this period, 1917 and 1918, Mather’s problems with manic depression were kept hidden from public view, and Albright, his able and... more
23
A compelling argument that the Internet of things threatens human rights and security and that suggests policy prescriptions to protect our future
The Internet has leapt from human-facing display screens into the material objects all around us. In this so-called Internet of Things—connecting everything from cars to cardiac monitors to home appliances—there is no longer a meaningful distinction between physical and virtual worlds. Everything is connected. The social and economic benefits are tremendous, but there is a downside: an outage in cyberspace can result not only in a... more
The Internet has leapt from human-facing display screens into the material objects all around us. In this so-called Internet of Things—connecting everything from cars to cardiac monitors to home appliances—there is no longer a meaningful distinction between physical and virtual worlds. Everything is connected. The social and economic benefits are tremendous, but there is a downside: an outage in cyberspace can result not only in a... more
Recommended by Shane Harris, and 1 others. Shane HarrisGreat event and discussion. Laura is brilliant. Buy her book! https://t.co/RcZoFbdY87 (Source)
24
Marc Holzer and Richard W. Schwester have written a fresh and highly engaging textbook for the introductory course in Public Administration.
Their coverage is both comprehensive and cutting-edge, including not only all the basic topics (OT, budgeting, HRM), but also reflecting new realities in public administration: innovations in e-government, the importance of new technology, changes in intergovernmental relations, especially the emphasis on inter-local and shared regional resources, and public performance and accountability initiatives.
Public Administration... more
Their coverage is both comprehensive and cutting-edge, including not only all the basic topics (OT, budgeting, HRM), but also reflecting new realities in public administration: innovations in e-government, the importance of new technology, changes in intergovernmental relations, especially the emphasis on inter-local and shared regional resources, and public performance and accountability initiatives.
Public Administration... more
26
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: CONCEPTS AND CASES offers a unique and highly regarded framework in which conceptual readings are paired with contemporary case studies that reflect real-world examples of administrative work, as well as new thinking and developments in the field. Case studies and examples cover topics such as the Columbia space shuttle disaster, the shootings at Columbine High School, and the war in Iraq--making it easy to engage students in the readings. less
27
By the late 1960s more than a few critics of American culture groused about the condition of television programming and, in particular, the quality and content of television shows for children. In the eyes of the reform-minded, commercial television crassly exploited young viewers; its violence and tastelessness served no higher purpose than the bottom line.
The Children's Television Workshop (CTW)—and its fresh approach to writing and producing programs for kids—emerged from this growing concern. Sesame Street—CTW's flagship, hour-long show—aimed to demonstrate how... more
The Children's Television Workshop (CTW)—and its fresh approach to writing and producing programs for kids—emerged from this growing concern. Sesame Street—CTW's flagship, hour-long show—aimed to demonstrate how... more
28
Introduction To Public Health, Fifth Edition Offers A Thorough, Accessible Overview Of The Expanding Field Of Public Health For Students New To Its Concepts And Actors. Written In Engaging, Nontechnical Language, This Best-Selling Text Explains In Clear Terms The Multi-Disciplinary Strategies And Methods Used For Measuring, Assessing, And Promoting Public Health. Packed With Illustrative Real-World Examples, This Updated Edition Provides Students With Informative Discussions Of The Current Technical Issues And Practical Obstacles Facing Public Health Practitioners And Policymakers Alike. In... more
29
This book will examine the intellectual origins and identity of the discipline of public administration, its diverse research traditions, and how public administration research is conducted today. The question of whether public administration is an art or science, driven by values or facts will never be definitively answered because of the lack of consensus among scholars within the field. This divide has produced heated debates, but Norma Riccucci embraces this diversity of research methods rather than seeking to suggest that there is one right way. The intended purpose of this book is to... more
30
Public Personnel Management has served as an essential, concise reader for public personnel and human resource management courses in the fields of public administration, political science, and public policy over the last 25 years. Since the first edition published in 1991, the book has offered professors and students alike an in-depth look at cutting-edge developments beyond standard textbook coverage, to provide a broad understanding of the key management and policy issues facing public and nonprofit HRM today. Original chapters are written expressly for the text by leading public... more
Don't have time to read the top Public Administration books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
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- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
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- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
31
Where does the desire for endless rules, regulations, and bureaucracy come from? How did we come to spend so much of our time filling out forms?
To answer these questions, anthropologist David Graeber—one of the most prominent and provocative thinkers working today—takes a journey through ancient and modern history to trace the peculiar and fascinating evolution of bureaucracy over the ages.
He starts in the ancient world, looking at how early civilizations were organized and what traces early bureaucratic systems have left in the ethnographic literature. He then jets... more
To answer these questions, anthropologist David Graeber—one of the most prominent and provocative thinkers working today—takes a journey through ancient and modern history to trace the peculiar and fascinating evolution of bureaucracy over the ages.
He starts in the ancient world, looking at how early civilizations were organized and what traces early bureaucratic systems have left in the ethnographic literature. He then jets... more
32
Administrative Leadership in the Public Sector is an ideal resource for any Public Administration course involving leadership and public management.
Each of the book's nine main sections begins with introductory text by the volume's editors, Monty Van Wart and Lisa Dicke, followed by relevant readings. The volume includes some of the most important readings on public leadership published in the last eight decades. More than just an anthology, Administrative Leadership in the Public Sector provides a unique and useful framework for understanding the vast... more
Each of the book's nine main sections begins with introductory text by the volume's editors, Monty Van Wart and Lisa Dicke, followed by relevant readings. The volume includes some of the most important readings on public leadership published in the last eight decades. More than just an anthology, Administrative Leadership in the Public Sector provides a unique and useful framework for understanding the vast... more
34
All too often government lacks the skill, the will, and the wallet to meet its missions. Schools fall short of the mark while roads and bridges fall into disrepair. Health care costs too much and delivers too little. Budgets bleed red ink as the cost of services citizens want outstrips the taxes they are willing to pay. Collaborative Governance is the first book to offer solutions by demonstrating how government at every level can engage the private sector to overcome seemingly insurmountable problems and achieve public goals more effectively.
John Donahue and Richard... more
John Donahue and Richard... more
35
Essentials of Epidemiology in Public Health, Fourth Edition combines theory and practice in presenting traditional and new epidemiologic concepts. Broad in scope, the text opens with five chapters covering the basic epidemiologic concepts and data sources. A major emphasis is placed on study design, with separate chapters devoted to each of the three main analytic designs: experimental, cohort, and case-control studies. Full chapters on bias, confounding, and random error, including the role of statistics in epidemiology, ensure that students are well-equipped with the necessary information... more
36
The world of 5G, the next generation of telecommunication technology, will be as different from what came before as the world after the advent of electricity. The massive amounts of data we’ll be able to stream through fiber-optic connections will enable a degree of virtual presence that will radically transform health care, education, urban administration and services, agriculture, retail sales, and offices. Yet all of those transformations will pale in comparison to the innovations that we can’t even imagine today.
In a fascinating account combining legal expertise with... more
In a fascinating account combining legal expertise with... more
37
Now in an extensively revised 9th edition, Introducing Public Administration provides students with the conceptual foundation they need, while introducing them to important trends in the discipline. Known for its lively and witty writing style, this beloved textbook examines the most important issues in the field of public administration through the use of examples from various disciplines and modern culture. This unique approach captivates students and encourages them to think critically about the nature of public administration today. Refreshed and revised throughout, the 9th... more
38
The modern age with its emphasis on technical rationality has enabled a new and dangerous form of evil--administrative evil. Unmasking Administrative Evil discusses the overlooked relationship between evil and public affairs, as well as other fields and professions in public life. The authors argue that the tendency toward administrative evil, as manifested in acts of dehumanization and genocide, is deeply woven into the identity of public affairs. The common characteristic of administrative evil is that ordinary people within their normal professional and administrative roles can... more
39
Stephen Skowronek's wholly innovative study demonstrates that presidents are persistent agents of change, continually disrupting and transforming the political landscape. In an afterword to this new edition, the author examines "third way" leadership as it has been practiced by Bill Clinton and others. These leaders are neither great repudiators nor orthodox innovators. They challenge received political categories, mix seemingly antithetical doctrines, and often take their opponents' issues as their own. less
40
Don't have time to read the top Public Administration books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
41
A revolution is stirring in America. People are angry at governments that spend more but deliver less, frustrated with bureaucracies that give them no control, and tired of politicians who raise taxes and cut services but fail to solve the problems we face.Reinventing Government is both a call to arms in the revolt against bureaucratic malaise and a guide to those who want to build something better. It shows that there is a third way: that the options are not simply liberal or conservative, but that our systems of governance can be fundamentally reframed; that a caring government can still... more
42
The eighth edition of "Public Administration: Understanding Management, Politics, and Law in the Public Sector" grounds students in the fundamentals of public administration while embracing its complexity. It describes, explains, and analyses public administration through the lenses of three well-established perspectives: management, politics, and law. This edition retains its strong U.S. focus while broadening the discussion and themes in recognition of its adoption in about twenty countries abroad and to enhance its global utility as a “world text.” less
43
Drawing on extensive interviews and archival research, Fred Greenstein reveals that there was great political activity beneath the placid surface of the Eisenhower White House. In a new foreword to this edition, he discusses developments in the study of the Eisenhower presidency in the dozen years since publication of the first edition and examines the continuing significance of Eisenhower's legacy for the larger understanding of presidential leadership in modern America. less
Recommended by Ryan Holiday, and 1 others. Ryan HolidayThe Hidden-Hand which I read around the same time is equally a masterclass in leadership. It will give you not just a new appreciation of Eisenhower, but teach you how real leaders get things done: it’s not through talking, it’s not through looking tough, it’s through organization, delegation and through behind the scenes influence. (Source)
44
A comprehensive summary of the work and contributions of the leading theorists in public administration. Fry's original essays focus on the pioneers in the field whose work largely shaped the current contours of the field. They include Max Weber, Frederick Taylor, Luther Gulick, Mary Parker Follett, Elton Mayo, Chester Barnard, Herbert Simon, and Dwight Waldo. less
45
Drawing on fundamental ideas about the relationship of citizens to the public sphere, Richard C Box presents a model of `citizen governance'. Recognizing the challenges in the community governance setting, he advocates rethinking the structure of local government and the roles of citizens, elected officials and public professionals in the twenty-first century. His model shifts a large part of the responsibility for local public policy from the professional and the elected official to the citizen. Citizens take part directly in creating and implementing policy, elected officials coordinate the... more
46
Combining the most current public management thinking and research with examples of how public executives and organizations apply these ideas, MANAGING THE PUBLIC SECTOR is a comprehensive introduction to the field. The Eighth Edition continues to engage the student's intellect by providing more than just the basic foundation of management. The text places the application of management in the context of the public sector and tries to capture some of the excitement and challenge of the field. less
47
Jefferson Lecturer and Pulitzer Prize finalist Forrest McDonald is widely recognized as one of our most respected and challenging historians of the Constitution. He has been called brilliant, provocative, controversial, passionate, pugnacious, and crafty in intellectual combat. Whatever the label, he remains unsurpassed as a commentator on the American founding.
Novus Ordo Seclorum, his best-known work, was hailed as "magisterial," "a tour-de-force," "the American history book of the decade," "the best single book on the origins of the U.S. Constitution," and was featured on... more
Novus Ordo Seclorum, his best-known work, was hailed as "magisterial," "a tour-de-force," "the American history book of the decade," "the best single book on the origins of the U.S. Constitution," and was featured on... more
50
In this entertaining anthology, editors, writers, art directors, and publishers from such magazines as Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, The New Republic, Elle, and Harper's draw on their varied, colorful experiences to explore a range of issues concerning their profession. Combining anecdotes with expert analysis, these leading industry insiders speak on writing and editing articles, developing great talent, effectively incorporating art and design, and the critical relationship between advertising dollars and content. They emphasize the importance of fact... more
Don't have time to read the top Public Administration books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
51
Public policy has developed into a broad and interdisciplinary area of study. Research in the field tends to reflect this wide-ranging nature, with scholarly activity focusing on policy process, policy design, program evaluation, specific policy issues, and research classified simply as “policy studies.” Yet, for those teaching and studying in the field, this disjointedness can be confusing and cumbersome.
This text provides a reasoned and structured framework for the field of public policy. Authors Kevin B. Smith and Christopher W. Larimer not only discuss several... more
This text provides a reasoned and structured framework for the field of public policy. Authors Kevin B. Smith and Christopher W. Larimer not only discuss several... more
52
Across the country minority communities feel under attack by police officers. The Politics of Crisis explores how to change public policy decisions to reform the role of law enforcement. Centered around the harrowing events of the Freddie Gray riots that gripped Baltimore in 2015, The Politics of Crisis is a powerful examination of how everything can go wrong when police no longer serve their communities.
Eric Kowalczyk, Director of Media Relations for the Baltimore Police Department during the riots, provides a first-hand account of what it's like to be on the front lines of... more
Eric Kowalczyk, Director of Media Relations for the Baltimore Police Department during the riots, provides a first-hand account of what it's like to be on the front lines of... more
53
In this now-classic work, one of the most celebrated political scientists of the twentieth century offers a powerful interpretation of the location of political power in American urban communities. For this new edition, Robert A. Dahl has written a new Preface in which he reflects on Who Governs? more than four decades after its publication. And in a new Foreword, Douglas W. Rae offers an assessment of Dahl’s achievement in this, Dahl’s greatest and most influential book.
“Dahl is never dogmatic, and never imagines that the world stands still to accommodate either... more
“Dahl is never dogmatic, and never imagines that the world stands still to accommodate either... more
54
"Strategic Communication: Origins, Concepts, and Current Debates" is a groundbreaking study, the first book explicitly focused on strategic communication as it is currently used and discussed in the U.S. government. Written specifically for those who are new to strategic communication, this incisive book clarifies the definitional debate, explores the history of the term and its practice, and embraces a broad, practical definition.
But that is only the beginning. Moving to the realities of the issue, author Christopher Paul reviews dozens of government reports on strategic... more
But that is only the beginning. Moving to the realities of the issue, author Christopher Paul reviews dozens of government reports on strategic... more
55
Was George W. Bush the true heir of Woodrow Wilson, the architect of liberal internationalism? Was the Iraq War a result of liberal ideas about America's right to promote democracy abroad? In this timely book, four distinguished scholars of American foreign policy discuss the relationship between the ideals of Woodrow Wilson and those of George W. Bush. The Crisis of American Foreign Policy exposes the challenges resulting from Bush's foreign policy and ponders America's place in the international arena.
Led by John Ikenberry, one of today's foremost foreign policy... more
Led by John Ikenberry, one of today's foremost foreign policy... more
56
In this groundbreaking book, J. Patrick Dobel describes and analyzes the elements that constitute integrity in public office. Drawing on case studies, memoirs, interviews, and fiction (e.g., John Le Carré), Dobel addresses such issues as when to resign and when to stay in office. He examines the temptations of power, the relation between private and public life, and the role of honor and prudence in making personal decisions. He applies not only moral theory but also the insights of history, organizational theory, and psychology. Unlike most political ethics books, Public Integrity... more
57
New edition coming in February 2020. As one of the foundational texts in the Essential Public Health series, Essentials of Public Health is an excellent introduction to the field of public health. Written for senior-level undergraduates or graduate students in public health, health science, nursing, and other health professions, Essentials of Public Health gives special focus to public health careers and the workings of public health agencies. Combining the best elements of Dr. Turnock's other books: Public Health: What It Is and How It Works and Public Health: Career Choices That Make a... more
59
Public Administration Evolving: From Foundations to the Future demonstrates how the theory and practice of public administration has evolved since the early decades of the twentieth century. Each chapter approaches the field from a unique perspective and describes the seminal events that have been influential in shaping its evolution.
This book presents major trends in theory and practice in the field, provides an overview of its intellectual development, and demonstrates how it has professionalized. The range from modernism to metamodernism is reflected from... more
This book presents major trends in theory and practice in the field, provides an overview of its intellectual development, and demonstrates how it has professionalized. The range from modernism to metamodernism is reflected from... more
60
Just as investors want the companies they hold equity in to do well, homeowners have a financial interest in the success of their communities. If neighborhood schools are good, if property taxes and crime rates are low, then the value of the homeowner's principal asset--his home--will rise. Thus, as William Fischel shows, homeowners become watchful citizens of local government, not merely to improve their quality of life, but also to counteract the risk to their largest asset, a risk that cannot be diversified. Meanwhile, their vigilance promotes a municipal governance that provides services... more
Don't have time to read the top Public Administration books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
61
When the landmark book Collaborative Leadership was first published in 1994, it described the premise, principles, and leadership characteristics of successful collaboration. The book outlined an innovative way of building partnerships to solve the civic problems too big for anyone to solve alone as well as a new type of leadership that brings together diverse stakeholders to solve a community's problems. While that book provides a much-needed framework for working together, The Collaborative Leadership Fieldbook offers nonprofit practitioners, community leaders, and public officials a... more
62
The only text in management and organizational behavior to focus on public organizations, nonprofit organizations, and school systems, Managing Human Behavior in Public and Nonprofit Organizations fosters competency in critical management and leadership skills including communication, motivation, teamwork, group dynamics, and decision-making. Cases, self-assessment exercises, simulations, and evaluative instruments provide students the opportunity to experience the applied side of theories and to learn both cognitively and experientially. The Third Edition covers recent developments in the... more
63
Using a straightforward systems approach, Public Health: What It Is and How It Works explores the inner workings of the complex, modern U.S. public health system--what it is, what it does, how it works, and why it is important. The book covers the origins and development of the modern public health system; the relationship of public health to the overall health system; how the system is organized at the federal, state, and local levels; its core functions and how well these are currently being addressed; evidence-based practice and an approach to program planning and evaluation for public... more
64
A seminal figure in the field of public management, Mark Moore presents his summation of fifteen years of research, observation, and teaching about what public sector executives should do to improve the performance of public enterprises. Useful for both practicing public executives and those who teach them, this book explicates some of the richest of several hundred cases used at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and illuminates their broader lessons for government managers. Moore addresses four questions that have long bedeviled public administration: What should citizens and their... more
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"As a practitioner in the field for over thirty years, I have been exposed to endless 'planning' sessions that are prescriptive to the point of being oppressive. Thistext 'gives permission' to the practitioner to allow for emergence, uncertainty, and ambiguity in the planning process. Comparative Approaches to Program Planning provides a guide for the manager, administrator, executive director, strategic planner, and CEO to embrace multiple planning strategies and the understanding of each. This is extremely worthwhile in a dynamic environment and an ever- changing landscape and... more
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Administrative Law for Public Managers
a comprehensive guide to the essentials that public managers need to know about administrative law—why we have administrative law, the constitutional constraints on public administration, and administrative law’s frameworks for rulemaking, adjudication, enforcement, transparency, and judicial and legislative review. Rosenbloom views administrative law from the perspectives of administrative practice, emphasizing how various administrative law provisions promote their underlying goal of improving the fit between public administration and... more
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The Digital Difference examines how the transition from the industrial-era media of one-way publishing and broadcasting to the two-way digital era of online search and social media has affected the dynamics of public life.
In the digital age, fundamental beliefs about privacy and identity are subject to change, as is the formal legal basis of freedom of expression. Will it be possible to maintain a vibrant and open marketplace of ideas? In W. Russell Neuman's analysis, the marketplace metaphor does not signal that money buys influence, but rather just the opposite--that the... more
In the digital age, fundamental beliefs about privacy and identity are subject to change, as is the formal legal basis of freedom of expression. Will it be possible to maintain a vibrant and open marketplace of ideas? In W. Russell Neuman's analysis, the marketplace metaphor does not signal that money buys influence, but rather just the opposite--that the... more
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The Public Administration Theory Primer
explores how the science and art of public administration is definable, describable, replicable, and cumulative. The authors survey a broad range of theories and analytical approaches—from public institutional theory to theories of governance—and consider which are the most promising, influential, and important for the field. This book paints a full picture of how these theories contribute to, and explain, what we know about public administration today.
The third edition is fully revised and updated to reflect the latest... more
The third edition is fully revised and updated to reflect the latest... more
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Book annotation not available for this title. less
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The must-have statistics guide for students of health services Statistics for Health Care Management and Administration is a unique and invaluable resource for students of health care administration and public health. The book introduces students to statistics within the context of health care, focusing on the major data and analysis techniques used in the field. All hands-on instruction makes use of Excel, the most common spreadsheet software that is ubiquitous in the workplace. This new third edition has been completely retooled, with new content on proportions, ANOVA, linear... more
Don't have time to read the top Public Administration books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
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A Comprehensive Overview And Resource For Public Administration Students And Practitioners. This Book Is A Combination Of An Introduction To Basic Legal Principles, Analysis Of Excerpts From Instructive Cases, And Practical Advice. It Is An Original Approach To Learning About Law For Those Who Work For The Public Good, The Culmination Of More Than Twenty-Five Years Of Research, Study, Counseling, Law Reform Work, And Reflection On What The Law Is And Should Be And How This Can Be Explained To Any Reasonably Thoughtful Person. The Book Combines Substantive Coverage Of Law Subjects Likely To Be... more
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Marcus Cicero, Rome's greatest statesman and orator, was elected to the Roman Republic's highest office at a time when his beloved country was threatened by power-hungry politicians, dire economic troubles, foreign turmoil, and political parties that refused to work together. Sound familiar? Cicero's letters, speeches, and other writings are filled with timeless wisdom and practical insight about how to solve these and other problems of leadership and politics. How to Run a Country collects the best of these writings to provide an entertaining, common sense guide for modern leaders and... more
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PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN AMERICA tackles the current and emerging trends, ethics, and challenges in public administration with the most comprehensive scholarship available. The Eleventh Edition gives you a behind the scenes look at day-to-day operations while examining the policies implemented and the procedures undertaken across the various levels of American government. The most current applications of public administration are discussed and analyzed, with up to date coverage of recent education initiatives such as Race to the Top, the ongoing health care debates, Homeland Security... more
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The trends and practices of public administration are ever changing and it is essential that they be appraised from time to time. Designed as a capstone survey of the field, The State of Public Administration focuses on leading edge issues, challenges, and opportunities that confront PA study and practice in the 21st Century. less
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Public Administration Ethics for the 21st Century lays the ethical foundations for a uniform professional code of ethics for public administrators, civil servants, and non-profit administrators in the US. Martinez synthesizes five disparate schools of ethical thought as to how public administrators can come to know the good and behave in ways that advance the values of citizenship, equity, and public interest within their respective organizations. Using case studies, he teaches American administrators how to combine the approaches of all five schools to evaluate and resolve complex... more
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Discover how sound ethical theories can be applied to everyday situations and decisions in public administration
Ethical questions arise every day in the normal course of your work, such as whether to fire an employee. . .how to allocate departmental funds. . .how to rate an employee on a yearly evaluation. You intend to take the best course of action, but how can you determine what that is?
Practical Ethics in Public Administration helps clarify difficult or problematic ethical situations. It will help you improve your skills so you'll be better prepared to...
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Public administration ensures the development and delivery of the essential public services required for sustaining modern civilization. Covering areas from public safety and social welfare to transportation and education, the services provided through the public sector are inextricably part of our daily lives. However, mandatory budgetary cuts in recent years have caused public administrators to radically re-think how they govern in the modern age.
In this Very Short Introduction, Stella Theodoulou and Ravi Roy offer practical insight into the major challenges... more
In this Very Short Introduction, Stella Theodoulou and Ravi Roy offer practical insight into the major challenges... more
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The Public Administration Casebook is a practice-based collection that speaks to the lived experience of students and prepares them to become more effective practioners of public and non-profit sectors by providing case studies arranged around major themes in public administration.
Key Features:
The 14 case studies are organized by main themes of public administration including political context of public administration, bureaucracy and organizational structure, organizational culture, leadership, human relations administration, budgeting, ethics, and decision making.... more
Key Features:
The 14 case studies are organized by main themes of public administration including political context of public administration, bureaucracy and organizational structure, organizational culture, leadership, human relations administration, budgeting, ethics, and decision making.... more
Don't have time to read the top Public Administration books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
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America's complex system of multi-layered government faces new challenges as a result of rapidly changing economic, technological, and demographic trends. An aging population, economic globalization, and homeland security concerns are among the powerful factors testing the system's capacity and flexibility. Major policy challenges and responses are now overwhelmingly intergovernmental in nature, and as a result, the fortunes of all levels of government are more intertwined and interdependent than ever before. This volume, cosponsored by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA),... more
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Most careers require the wisdom that only comes from experience to avoid making critical errors; public library administration positions are no exception. The best way to avoid the pitfalls of public library administration without experiencing them firsthand is to take direction from someone experienced in the field.
Crash Course in Public Library Administration introduces librarians in rural or small urban areas to public administration as it applies to libraries. Regardless of whether the reader is currently a director or senior administrator, or wishing to be... more
Crash Course in Public Library Administration introduces librarians in rural or small urban areas to public administration as it applies to libraries. Regardless of whether the reader is currently a director or senior administrator, or wishing to be... more
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How can decisionmakers charged with protecting the environment and the public's health and safety steer clear of false and misleading scientific research? Is it possible to give scientists a stronger voice in regulatory processes without yielding too much control over policy, and how can this be harmonized with democratic values? These are just some of the many controversial and timely questions that Sheila Jasanoff asks in this study of the way science advisers shape federal policy.
In their expanding role as advisers, scientists have emerged as a formidable fifth branch of... more
In their expanding role as advisers, scientists have emerged as a formidable fifth branch of... more
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Don't have time to read the top Public Administration books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.