The Public Administration Theory Primer

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Contents

Preface ix

Chapter 1 Introduction: Th e Possibilities of Th eory 1

Why Do We Need Th eory in Public Administration? 1

Th e Uses of Th eory 4

Is a Useful and Reliable Public Administration

Th eory Possible? 8

Some Contemporary Th eories of Public

Administration 11

Notes 13

Chapter 2 Th eories of Political Control of Bureaucracy 14

Introduction: What Are Th eories of Control

of Bureaucracy? 14

Th e Diff erence Between Politics and Administration 17

Are Bureaucracies Out of Control? 24

Agency Th eory 35

Conclusions 38

Summary 39

Chapter 3 Th eories of Bureaucratic Politics 41

Introduction: What Are Th eories of Bureaucratic

Politics? 41

Administrative Th eory as Political Th eory 43

Allison’s Paradigm of Bureaucratic Politics 47

Politics, Power, and Organization 50