Cover -- Contents -- List of Figures, Tables and Maps -- Foreword -- Chapter 1 Introduction: Understanding Public Administration -- What is Public Administration? -- The character of this book -- The structure of this book -- The themes in this book -- Further reading -- Chapter 2 Why do governments exist and why study them? -- Terminology -- Why people transfer authority to government -- The logic of collective action -- Regime types -- Recent research on the provision of collective goods -- Conclusions -- Further reading -- Chapter 3 What does a typical government structure look like? -- Terminology -- The stability of government structures -- Three colonial powers, three types of government -- Regional government -- Local government -- Centralization and decentralization -- Recent research in decentralization and centralization -- Conclusions -- Further reading -- Chapter 4 What is the role of a bureaucracy? -- Terminology -- Basics of organizational theory -- The specifics of a public organization -- The essence of bureaucracy -- Amendments to the Weberian bureaucracy -- Recent research -- Conclusions -- Further reading -- Chapter 5 Who works in government? -- Terminology -- Cultural dimensions -- Moving through the organization -- Top management and leadership -- Recent research on leadership and management -- Conclusions -- Further reading -- Chapter 6 What motivates government officials? -- Terminology -- Public Service Motivation and morality of public officials in reality -- Types of bureaucrats based on their motivation and morality -- Consequences of deficient motivation and morality -- Solutions for improving motivation and morality -- Recent research into motivation and morality -- Conclusions -- Further reading -- Chapter 7 When do public decisions result in optimal outcomes? -- Terminology.
"This new introductory text by one of the key individuals working in the area explores the essential themes and issues that are crucial to understanding public administration as a distinct field today"--
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