Public Administration and Public Affairs demonstrates how to govern efficiently, effectively, and responsibly in an age of political corruption and crises in public finance. Providing a comprehensive, accessible and humorous introduction to the field of Public Administration, this text is designed specifically for those with little to no background in the field. Now in its 13th edition, this beloved book includes:

Engaging, timely new sections designed to make students think, such as "Why Are So Many Leaders Losers?" and "Even Terrorists Like Good Government"

Comparisons throughout of the challenges and opportunities found in the nonprofit sector vs. the public sector (sections such as "The Dissatisfied Bureaucrat, the Satisfied Nonprofit Professional?")

Extensive new material on e-governance, performance management, HRM, intersectoral and intergovernmental administration, government contracting, public budgeting, and ethics.

The 13th edition is complete with an Instructor’s Manual, Testbank, and PowerPoint slides for instructors, as well as Learning Objectives and Self-test Questions for students, making it the ideal primer for public administration/management, public affairs, and nonprofit management courses.

Table of Contents

Part 1. In Defense of Governing Well

1. Big Democracy, Big Bureaucracy

2. Paradigms of Public Administration

Part 2. Public and Nonprofit Organizations

3. The Threads of Organizations: Theories

4. The Fabric of Organizations: Forces

5. The Fibres of Organizations: People

Part 3. Public Management: Curbing Corruption, Enhancing Efficiency

6. Clarifying Complexity: The Public’s Information Resource

7. The Constant Quest: Effective and Efficient Governance

8. The Public Trough: Financing and Budgeting Governments

9. Managing Human Capital in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors

Part 4. Implementing Public Policy

10. Understanding and Improving Public Policy

11. Intersectoral Administration

12. Intergovernmental Administration

13. Toward a Bureaucratic Ethic