School of Government (Public Administration, ISD & PLAAS) [Old]

Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary.In order to be successful, public administration (PA) research has to be methodologically promiscuous. Attempting either quantitative or qualitative purity is no way to reflect the complex realities of public administration in the real world. Looking to the future of the subject, this Research Agenda seeks to suggest the future of PA research and the directions which it may - or should - take.With chapters from leading researchers, A Research Agenda for Public Administration offers observations, analysis, and concerns from researchers. With thematically linked chapters, this book focuses and clarifies the current research agenda for public administration while endorsing the need for relevant research in the field and advocating for theory which fits the reality and practice of public administration, for example, in the areas of climate change, disease control, and migration and inequality.This Research Agenda will assist students of PA as well as of public sector management, especially postgraduates, but it is also a useful resource for more established researchers seeking to understand the major emerging issues.

B. Guy Peters presents a critique of conventional policy design methods, placing emphasis on the need to formulate interconnecting designs for issues that cross multiple policy areas. He advocates the use of analytic categories for understanding problems rather than functional categories, such as defence and health, to change the perspective of problems and modernize policy design. Whereas previous literature takes a top-down, technocratic approach, this new perspective emphasizes the importance of context and the pressing need to unite designs between policy areas. Effective methods should be open and inclusive by reviewing a wider range of policy alternatives. Chapters discuss the logic of policy design, the different problems that can arise in policy and how to link these issues with the correct policy instruments successfully. Peters also provides a set of ten key principles that can be used to improve the technique of policy formulation for effective and realistic designs. For any academic, researcher or student of public policy interested in the formulation of policy decisions, this book will be an essential tool for successful policy analysis. Current policymakers and strategists will benefit from the in-depth discussion on tackling policy problems as well as improving and interconnecting policy designs.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas.In this Advanced Introduction, Christopher Pollitt starts a penetrating account of the theories, methods and possible trajectories of the study of public management, also examining the academic community itself, and its relationship to the world of practice. There is no more authoritative - or lively - text of such scope and focus. This is a stimulating analysis by a leading international scholar. It includes:· a global overview· a critical and authoritative analysis of the current state of the field· the location of academic research firmly in the real world context of austerity, climate and demographic change, and technological transformation· an examination of the relationship between academic study and the practice of public management· a look inside the 'ivory tower', at the forces changing the way the subject is studied and practised.This truly unique work will be of particular interest to graduate students, advanced scholars, lecturers and trainers in public administration, public management, government, public policy, political science and development administration. Middle level and senior practitioners in public administration and public management will also find this an invaluable and sophisticated introduction.

Street-level bureaucracy concerns a vital part of the ways in which public policy programmes are implemented, particularly through the relationship between public officials and individual citizens. Addressing the state of the art and providing a systematic exploration of the theoretical and methodological issues at stake, this Research Handbook is a crucial contribution to the analysis of public policy from the perspective of the ground floor of government. The Research Handbook covers theoretical themes in current research such as institutional theory, social inequality, national culture, discrimination and representation, digitalization, and accountability. Analysing the role of teachers, police officers and other street-level bureaucrats, chapters explore how these individuals implement policies through their daily contact with citizens. Further sections investigate the methodological tools for research, as well as the future challenges facing the area. Peter Hupe concludes with lessons for the study of street-level bureaucracy and a significant research agenda for the topic. Essential reading for researchers and students of politics, government, public administration, public management, public policy and social policy, the Research Handbook on Street-Level Bureaucracy is the defining reference for understanding public policy in action in everyday life.