This unique collection broadens the focus of public administration to include practical and theoretical insights from the worlds of literature and the arts. By making connections between what are normally seen as disparate arenas, the contributors seek to enrich the theory and practice of public administration. The volume connects administrative and management concepts to both Western and Eastern aesthetic theories; provides insights into administration by surveying literature and film for negative and positive constructs of bureaucracy; examines historical and fictional portrayals of leadership; and points to the influence of literature and film on public policy innovation. This work will be of interest to both scholars and practitioners in public administration.

Public Administration Illuminated and Inspired by the Arts

Politics & Social Sciences

Goodsell, Charles T.

Murray, Nancy

Politics & Government

Praeger

American corporations and Peruvian politics

Harvard University Press

The Social Meaning of Civic Space: Studying Political Authority Through Architecture (Studies in Government and Public Policy)

Univ Pr of Kansas

The American Statehouse examines the interplay of architecture and politics in all fifty state capitols. Using both careful analysis and photographs of exteriors and interiors, Goodsell demonstrates how the architectural elements embody political values and ideas; influence how politicians, lobbyists, and the news media behave; and both awe and unite the citizenry. He concludes that a statehouse's design is an intentional expression of how to practice politics democratically. The American state capitol is a "statehouse" in that it was historically conceived as the center and home of all of state government. As a building type, it emerged in the early nineteenth century and flowered in the early twentieth. One of the very few purely American architectural forms, the statehouse not only encloses but also symbolizes American democracy at the state level. That all three branches of government, not to mention the state bureaucracy initially, were housed under one roof meant that the doctrine of the separation of powers had to be "worked out" in close quarters, often in revealing ways. What also evolved in the statehouse was a distinct style of politics that mixed colorful leadership, varied partisanship, bicameral opposition, deliberative debate, insider lobbying, uninhibited reporting, bureaucratic growth, and populist activism. All of these elements both affected and were acted upon by the built form—the statehouse—of state government. At the nexus of architectural studies and political science, this book is about the interaction of architecture and politics in America's state capitols. Goodsell offers what he calls a social interpretation of architecture. Toward this end, he utilizes three conceptual frameworks: one devoted to seeking political values or ideas embedded within the buildings, a second concerned with the effects of the buildings on contemporary political behavior, and a third seeking to appraise larger impressions the buildings make on society. Goodsell concludes that the statehouse enshrines both majestic state authority on the one hand and liberal representative government on the other. The American statehouse, then, is not just a temple but a temple of democracy.

The American Statehouse: Interpreting Democracy's Temples

Sociology

University Press of Kansas

Refounding Public Administration redefines the legitimate role of the public administrator and creates a normative theory of the development of American public administration. It is an extension of the Blacksburg Manifesto which was the result of the Blacksburg Conference and as such will produce considerable academic dialogue and controversy.

Refounding Public Administration

Business & Money

Stivers, Camilla M.

Rohr, John A.

Wamsley, Gary L.

Bacher, Robert N.

Kronenberg, Philip S.

White, Orion F.

Wolf, James F.

Business Development & Entrepreneurship

Sage Publications, Inc.

In this revised third edition the author sharpens his defence of the American public service. Attacking both the popular stereotypes and some more caustic criticism by academics in the field of public administration, this book presents substantial statistical data, buttressed by personal observation, to demonstrate the author's theory that American government is actually more competent, successful and steadfast than most people realise. In support of his argument, the author cites positive productivity figures and surveys of citizen response to actual contacts with such notorious bureaucratic offenders as the Postal Service and public welfare offices. Again and again he finds there is convincing evidence that the American public service performs its assigned duties with a degree of efficiency and democratic responsibility that deserves appreciation and acclaim rather than habitual disparagement by politicians and the press.

The case for bureaucracy: A public administration polemic (Chatham House series on change in American politics)

Management & Leadership

Chatham House Publishers

Charles Goodsell has long taken the position that U.S. bureaucracy is neither a generalized failure nor sinkhole of waste as mythologized by anti-government ideologues. Rather, it is one of the most effective and innovate sets of administrative institutions of any government in the world today. Indispensable to our democracy, it keeps government reliable and dependable to the citizens it serves. However, The New Case for Bureaucracy goes beyond empirically verifying its quality. Now an extended essay, written in a conversational tone, Goodsell expects readers to form their own judgments. At a time when Congress is locked in partisan and factional deadlock, he argues for the increased importance of bureaucrats and discusses how federal agencies must battle to keep alive in terms of resources and be strong enough to retain the integrity of their missions.

The New Case for Bureaucracy

CQ Press

The Case for Bureaucracy persuasively argues that American public servants and administrative institutions are among the best in the world. Contrary to popular stereotypes, they are neither sources of great waste nor a threat to liberty, but social assets of critical value to a functioning democracy. In presenting his case, Goodsell touches on core aspects of public administration while drawing on important, recent events to bring case material and empirical evidence fully up to date. This new edition incorporates the events of 9/11 to explore their impact on future bureaucratic performance, speaking specifically to the massive reorganization under the new Department of Homeland Security. As well, Goodsell offers a complete assessment of the reinventing government movement and related reforms to show how far bureaucracies have come, while pointing to the challenges they continue to face.
Updating worth highlighting:
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<li>
New data on public perceptions of bureaucracy.</li>
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New section on the delegation of policy implementation to contractors and nonprofits.</li>
 <li>
New statistics regarding quality-of-life improvements in American society since the 1980s.</li>
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New profiles of real bureaucrats―and citizen interaction with them―giving bureaucracy a human face.</li>
 <li>
New material on bureaucratic contributions to the political system that go beyond implementing policy.</li>
 <li>
New coverage of the administrative consolidation following 9/11 and competitive outsourcing by the Bush Administration.</li>
 <li>
New analysis of current reform proposals focused on market competition and business management practices.</li>
 <li>
New proposals for ways to improve bureaucracy.</li>
</ul>

The Case for Bureaucracy: A Public Administration Polemic

This latest work by highly regarded scholar of bureaucracy Charles T. Goodsell uses narrative essays and accompanying video profiles to bring to life the work and careers of individuals working for the common good in 12 essential jobs at all three levels of American government. The first book to explicitly encourage undergraduates to consider the public service as a career, Public Servants Studied in Image and Essay offers an on-the-ground look at some of the careers available to them after graduation. It showcases the hard work and dedication of ordinary bureaucrats―rather than administrative leaders―to help students appreciate the nature and achievements of American bureaucracy. The book’s narratives are framed by an introduction and conclusion by Goodsell to provide context and to place them within the research on bureaucracy and public administration.

Public Servants Studied in Image and Essay: A Fanfare for the Common Bureaucrat

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Books by Goodsell, Charles T.