The Public Administration Theory Primer

by H. George Frederickson, Kevin B. Smith, Christopher W. Larimer

The Public Administration Theory Primer explores how the science and art of public administration is definable, describable, replicable, and cumulative. The authors describe several theories and analytical approaches that contribute to what we know about policy administration and consider which are the most promising, influential, and important—both now and for the future.

The extensively updated second edition includes the latest directions and developments in public administration theory. These include the rise of reporting as a means to hold bureaucracy accountable, the continuing evolution of the “hollow state” or “shadow bureaucracy” and the rise of network theory, and new psychological and biological behavioral research with important implications for decision theory and rational choice. The contributions of nearly a decade's worth of new research are woven into all the chapters, in some cases altering conclusions about the health and robustness of certain popular conceptual frameworks.

308 pages, Paperback

First published January 31, 2003

Reviews

[Heather Luff · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hah! If I could, I'd give it a zero, but I'm not sure that is an option. This is one I had to read for my Public Administration graduate class. It is the only time I've been required to read a textbook cover to cover in my entire collegiate career. It is as boring as you would assume any book with the word "primer" in its title would be.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a new student to public administration this book is a useful tool. It explains the current top theories along with variations, strengths, and weaknesses. I would give it four stars for being as scholarly as it is.

I give it three stars due to the nature of the writing. Granted it is a book about scholarly work. The language and phraseology used is not necessarily for a beginner. I looked up a couple words in the dictionary. Most I tried to figure out by context. My analogy is the book is like giving a two year old a Guinness. Way too thick and hard to digest for someone new to the field. I'm also not a fan of the APA style of writing. That I'll have to get over due to the field I'm studying. Still disruptive to the way I read.

[Yoga aditama · Rating 4 out of 5]

It theoretical book, read for my thesis

[Dinas Ketapang Barru]

Desicion Theory

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I would have read this before the start of my program as it could have served as an excellent primer to the concepts covered over the course of this coming year. Basic coverage of decision theory, rationality, etc.

[Nurlan Mustafayev · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good introduction to public administration theories, especially for new students in this field. After reading this book you will get a pretty general idea about public administration. It not only describes such theories, but also criticizes them alongside with showing the interrelationships between different schools of thoughts. It also identifies few new areas which can be developed by new theorists/practitioners.