Public administration and public affairs

Henry, Nicholas

ISBN 10: 0137372884 ISBN 13: 9780137372881

Publisher: Prentice-Hall, 1975

Synopsis

For undergraduate/graduate-level courses in public administration or public affairs.This comprehensive, up-to-date text emphasizes a value-based approach to the study and practice of public administration. It covers the recent efforts to make government more accountable and responsive, serves as a professional reference for students, and gives them a sense of direction for the future.

About this title

From the Publisher:

This is the leading text in the field of public administration -- widely adopted for its comprehensive coverage and managerial focus.

From the Inside Flap:

Preface

Welcome to the millennium edition—and the silver anniversary edition—of Public Administration and Public Affairs.

It is fitting, on this—both millennial and sterling—occasion, that this edition is more altered than any other. Much has been excised, much has been added, much has been rewritten, and much has been reorganized.

Among the new, seriously revised, or significantly expanded discussions contained in the eighth edition are, in rough order of appearance, the following:

The constraint of American government, focusing on the uniquely American social contract and its limitations of governmental action Direct democracy, including the people's use of referenda, initiatives, recalls, and legislative term limits The growing "trust deficit" among American citizens relative to their governments and elected leaders The bureaucratic image versus the bureaucratic reality Why public organizations "bureaucratize" more readily than do private organizations The unique motivations and job satisfaction of public administrators The limitations of leadership in public organizations A new chapter devoted exclusively to public information resource management The use of computers by local governments New governmental procedures to resist computer hacking An expanded and reorganized chapter on performance measurement, program evaluation, and productivity The reinventing government movement The emergence of performance measurement and public program evaluation at the federal, state, and local levels The limitations of performance measurement, and minimizing its pitfalls Long-term and short-term cutback management Budgeting for results The federal budget surplus Assessing the performance of public administrators Dealing with incompetent public employees The developing professionalism of state and local public administrators Comparable worth The differing career experiences of minority and women public administrators The public backlash concerning affirmative action policies A recast chapter on `Approaches to Public Policy and Its Implementation," which bisects public policy into incrementalist and rationalist approaches Strategic planning in the public sector The revolving door of federal contracting Privatization in the states Local government contracting, including long-term trends and the effectiveness of local privatization The use of volunteers, franchises, subsidies, and vouchers by the federal, state, and local governments The recent rise of the states in the federal system Intergovernmental planning Community federalism Metropolitan governance, governmental fragmentation, and public choice Codes of ethics in federal, state, and local governments Bureaucratic accountability Public administrators' perceptions and interpretations of ethical behavior in government The passion of public administration, focusing on the remarkable career of Robert Moses

Also revised in the eighth edition are the extensive appendices that have made Public Administration and Public Affairs a useful reference work for both students and practitioners.

A new addition is Appendix A, "Publications and Organizations in Public Administration by Specialization," a listing of information sources, journals, and organizations by subfield. Appendix A is designed to facilitate the reader's ability to identify resources that are available in his or her area of interest. It draws its lists from the three appendices that follow, B, C, and D, although these appendices contain the titles of many more publications or organizations than are listed in Appendix A—namely, publications or organizations that are nonspecialized and general in their scope.

Appendix B is a compendium of annotated information sources in public administration related fields. Appendix C is an expanded list of selected journals relevant to public administration. Like Appendix B, it features Library of Congress call numbers as well as brief explanations of the items listed. Appendix D lists selected academic, professional, and public interest organizations, with addresses and descriptions. World Wide Websites for those organizations that have them, and telephone numbers for those that do not, are included.

Three additional useful appendices follow: Appendix E provides the correct form of address for public officials. Appendix F explains what kinds of jobs are available in the public sector (and the salaries that one might expect) and how to get them. It also reviews new federal policies for hiring employees and offers a sample resume that reflects the latest thinking about this format. Appendix G reprints the Code of Ethics of the American Society of Public Administration. Because the society is the only association comprised of public administrators from all levels of American government, its Code of Ethics has particular relevance.

The eighth and millennial edition of Public Administration and Public Affairs represents the field's continuing evolution and growing self-confidence. The developments it reports show a discipline that is maturing, growing more intellectually powerful, and making greater contributions to the society that supports it. Acknowledgments

In the first edition of this book, I stated that I owed an intellectual debt to at least three of my teachers: Lynton Keith Caldwell, Jack T. Johnson, and York Y. Wilbern. I further noted that they taught me most of what I know about public administration. I still owe my teachers for that intellectual debt. Although it has been some time since I sat in their classrooms, their impact has waxed, not waned, over the years.

The earliest of these unique teachers, Jack Johnson, passed away some years ago. His impact on me was formative, and his advice and friendship are deeply missed. I have since added a fourth person to this small circle: Frank J. Sackton. Professor Sackton (also Lieutenant General Sackton, retired) introduced me to the classroom of the practical world during the dozen years that I spent at Arizona State University. It was a rare education indeed, and one that I shall always treasure. I am indebted to my editor at Prentice Hall, Beth Gillett Mejia, as well as Ginger Malphrus, and Cristina H. Hinkle, all of whom worked hard to bring the eighth edition out on time.

I also am indebted to my colleagues, students, and the Prentice Hall reviewers who have had such a constructive impact on the continuing evolution of Public Administration and Public Affairs.

As always, my wife, Muriel, and my children, Adrienne and Miles, and their spouses, Kevin and Anna, provide the deepest level of support. This book is for them, and the newest addition to the brood, Callum, a grandson.

Nicholas Henry
Statesboro, Georgia

About this edition

• Publisher: Prentice-Hall
• Publication date: 1975
• ISBN 10: 0137372884
• ISBN 13: 9780137372881
• Binding: Loose Leaf
• Number of pages: 380