Democracy, Bureaucracy, and the Study of Administration

This anthology addresses several of the most central ideas in the field of public administration. Collectively and individually the essays explore 'political theories' as Dwight Waldo referred to them. These ideas are ultimately unresolvable yet crucial to understanding the nature of public administration practice. The tension between democracy and efficiency yields a constant struggle between more effective and more efficient. The readings in this volume explore: Can there be a science of administration? How should we think about administrative accountability? What is the nature of the relationship between citizen and state? Is professionalism an adequate mechanism for ensuring accountability? How efficient can or should bureaucracy be? What is proper leadership by administrators hoping to address political democracy and managerial efficiency. The ASPA Classics Volumes serve to bridge the practice of public policy and administration with the empirical research base that has accrued and the models for practice that may be deduced from research.