Politics of the Administrative Process

by Donald F. Kettl

Overview

Efficient public administration requires a delicate balance between politics, accountability, and performance—bureaucracy must be powerful enough to be effective but also accountable to elected officials and citizens. Author Don Kettl understands that the push and pull of political forces in a democracy make the functions of bureaucracy both contentious and crucial. In The Politics of the Administrative Process, he gives students a realistic, relevant, and well-researched view of the field featuring engaging vignettes and rich examples from current events like the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ninth Edition has been thoroughly updated with an additional chapter, as well as new scholarship, data, and case studies, giving students multiple opportunities to apply ideas and analysis as they read.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781071875551
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	08/30/2023
Edition description:	Ninth Edition
Pages:	480
Sales rank:	118,481
Product dimensions:	7.38(w) x 9.12(h) x (d)

About the Author

Donald F. Kettl is professor emeritus and former dean at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. Until his retirement, he was the Sid Richardson Professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also a senior adviser at the Volcker Alliance, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

Kettl is the author or editor of 25 books, including Bridgebuilders: Harnessing Society’s Superpowers to Solve Its Biggest Problems, with William D. Eggers; The Divided States of America (2020); Can Governments Earn Our Trust? (2017); Little Bites of Big Data for Public Policy (2017); Escaping Jurassic Government: Restoring America’s Lost Commitment to Competence (2016); System under Stress: The Challenge to 21^st Century American Democracy Homeland Security and American Politics (2014); The Next Government of the United States: Why Our Institutions Fail Us and How to Fix Them (2008); and The Global Public Management Revolution (2005).

He has received three lifetime achievement awards: the Dwight Waldo Award of the American Society of Public Administration; the John Gaus Award of the American Political Science Association; and Warner W. Stockberger Achievement Award of the International Public Management Association for Human Resources. Three of his books have received national best-book awards.

Kettl holds a Ph D in political science from Yale University. He consults broadly for government organizations, at all levels and around the world. He has appeared frequently in national and international media. With his wife, Sue, he is also a co-shareholder of the Green Bay Packers.

Table of Contents

Preface
About the Author
1. Politics, Performance, and Accountability
2. Accountability
PART I: The Job of Government
3. What Government Does—and How It Does It
4. What Is Public Administration?
PART II: Organizational Theory and the Role of Government’s Structure
5. Organizational Theory
6. The Executive Branch
7. Organization Problems
8. Administrative Reform
PART III: People in Government Organizations
9. The Civil Service
10. Human Capital
PART IV: Making and Implementing Government Decisions
11. Decision Making: Rationality and Risk
12. Budgeting
13. Implementation and Performance
PART V: Administration in a Democracy
14. Regulation and the Courts
15. Accountability and Oversight
Glossary of Key Concepts

Editorial Reviews

Don Kettl's newest edition of Politics of the Administrative Process continues to be a fantastic introduction to the theory and practice of public administration. Its effective melding of essential concepts, major theories, and cogent case studies makes it an accessible and comprehensive introduction to the field for both pre-service and in-service students.

Michelle Pautz

My first encounter with Kettl’s Politics of the Administrative Process was from one of former colleagues, who had used this book before. The reasons for using this text are the straightforward stories, easy reading, and comprehensive coverage. I like it because it offers students to due degree of exposure to theories and practical realities. The best part of the text is the way the text presents cases and stories to attract students’ attention and induce them to think.

Su Xuhong

“Politics of the Administrative Process stands out among other competing textbooks for its clarity, comprehensiveness, and coverage. It tackles the issue of government accountability in a direct way, but also has a positive, upbeat tone toward public service, which is important for today’s students, many of whom question the value of public service. Other public administration textbooks are dry and uninteresting but this book works better for my students, due to the clear, straightforward writing style and illustrative case studies. Students like real-life examples, and the case studies really bring the more abstract discussions to life and are an important part of helping to meet our teaching and learning objectives. Many texts also ignore or downplay discussion of state and local governments, but Kettl’s coverage is robust, and incorporates numerous state and local examples. I particularly like the last section that puts public administration into the context of the rules, processes, and politics of our democratic system— the text’s emphasis on politics is one of its most attractive aspects for me.”

John Klemanski

“Politics of the Administrative Process is truly a comprehensive text. Donald Kettl is a well-known scholar who is very knowledgeable on the role of administration in policy formation and implementation, and he is able to condense a great deal of information and present it in a way that is relatively easy for students to follow. Kettl’s book is effectively organized, and focuses on the core issues and concepts of public administration, including important topics like accountability and bureaucratic reform. The book also includes strong pedagogical aids, with very clear and helpful tables, figures, and charts, and useful end-of-chapter elements.”

Patricia Freeland

Thorough coverage of subject matter that promotes critical analysis and provides opportunities for student engagement. Illuminates historical roots and contemporary political contexts that shape administration. It provides frameworks for understanding management challenges and explaining policy outcomes…I have used the text for many years and the students appreciate its authoritative, reference book quality”

Gina L. Keel

One of the key strengths of The Politics of the Administrative Process is its organization; the book opens and closes on the theme of accountability—fitting bookends to the topics in-between. The case studies at the end of each chapter are exceptional, providing the basis for many interesting classroom discussions and thoughtful written assignments. Overall, Politics is very engaging and accessible to students.”

Neal Buckwalter

"Politics of the Administrative Process is a text that is an asset for students and instructors alike. For the student, Donald Kettl provides both the theory and practice of public administration by embedding the processes of the field in the context of our democratic traditions. Students are exposed to administrative activity at the local, state and federal levels as well as the benefits and difficulties of managing public affairs. Instructors benefit from a vast array of resources such as the well-crafted case studies that help connect student to the real-world challenges faced by public administrators."

Charley Jacobs

The approach that Donald Kettl takes in Politics of the Administrative Process really stands out as a very appealing aspect of the book, especially the perspective that the government is working for the people and is involved in our lives on a daily basis, rather than being a distant and formal monolith. The placement of accountability and ethics as the first chapter also effectively sets the stage for the rest for the book. The excellent case studies at the end of each chapter are one of the text’s key strengths, covering a variety of topics that are grounded in actual events, instead of generic scenarios. Kettl also makes an effort to help students connect with the book by discussing events that they can relate to, such as the Boston Marathon bombing, and placing them into the context of the themes of the text.”

Kurt Fenske

Good foundational text to teach intro to public administration at the upper-level undergraduate or graduate level… I like the emphasis on the need to be both effective and accountable. It is a reader-friendly text.”

Susan Spice

Kettl's Politics of the Administrative Process continues to resonate well with students of public administration because it discusses key concepts and theories in a straightforward, cogent, and contemporary manner that both faculty and students appreciate.”

Brian Bulla

I have used Kettl’s Politics of the Administrative Process for close to 10 years now and haven’t found a better one. It covers everything I want to cover in class. What I like best are the case studies. I found these very useful when putting my class together for this semester. I especially like the way they highlight issues in all levels of government, not just the federal level. The high quality ancillary material that comes with the text, the Power Points and text banks, build a great foundation for students as they move through the rest of the book.

Joe Wert