Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents : Chapter 1 Introduction: The Possibilities of Theory -- Why Do We Need Theory in Public Administration? -- The Uses of Theory -- Is a Useful and Reliable Public Administration Theory Possible? -- Some Contemporary Theories of Public Administration -- Notes -- Chapter 2 Theories of Political Control of Bureaucracy -- Introduction: What Are Theories of Control of Bureaucracy? -- The Difference Between Politics and Administration -- Are Bureaucracies Out of Control? -- Agency Theory -- Conclusions -- Summary -- Chapter 3 Theories of Bureaucratic Politics -- Introduction: What Are Theories of Bureaucratic Politics? -- Administrative Theory as Political Theory -- Allison's Paradigm of Bureaucratic Politics -- Politics, Power, and Organization -- Networks and Bureaucratic Politics -- Representative Bureaucracy -- Conclusions -- Summary -- Chapter 4 Public Institutional Theory -- Institutional Theory -- The Basic Idea -- From Organizations to Institutions -- Hierarchy -- Alternatives to Hierarchy -- Comparing Institutional Forms -- High-Reliability Systems -- Low-Reliability Systems and Their Improvement -- System Fragmentation -- Garbage Cans and Rent Seeking -- The Diffusion of Innovation -- Conclusions -- Summary -- Chapter 5 Theories of Public Management -- Introduction: Developments in Public Management Theory -- Traditional Management Theory Thrust Forward -- Leadership as Public Management -- Managing by Contract -- Governance -- Conclusions -- Summary -- Chapter 6 Postmodern Theory -- Organizational Humanism and Postpositivism -- Postmodern Perspectives in Public Administration -- Looking for Postmodern Public Administration Theory -- Conclusions: Fading Away or Still Useful as a Theory? -- Summary -- Notes -- Chapter 7 Decision Theory -- Introduction -- The Evolution of Decision Theory -- Revisiting the Logic of Consequences -- Bounded Decision Rationality and the Logic of Appropriateness -- Conclusions -- Summary -- Chapter 8 Rational Choice Theory and Irrational Behavior -- Introduction: What Is Rational Choice Theory? -- The Rational, Self-Maximizing Bureaucrat -- Trust and the Irrational Bureaucrat -- The Self-Maximizing Citizen and the Tiebout Hypothesis -- Rational Choice as the New Orthodoxy -- Conclusions -- Summary -- Notes -- ]Chapter 9 Theories of Governance -- Introduction: Public Administration's Need for a Theory of Governance -- A New Model of Governance > -- Governance as the New Public Management -- Governance as a Unifying Framework for Public Administration? -- Collaborative Governance Theory -- Conclusions -- Summary -- Chapter 10 Conclusion: A Bright Future for Theory? -- Theories of Political Control of Bureaucracy -- Theories of Bureaucratic Politics -- Public Institutional Theory -- Theories of Public Management -- Postmodern Theory -- Decision Theory -- Rational Choice Theory and Irrational Behavior -- Theories of Governance -- Theory in Public Administration -- References -- Index.

"The Public Administration Theory Primer explores how the science and art of public administration is definable, describable, replicable, and cumulative. The authors survey a broad range of theories and analytical approaches--from public institutional theory to theories of governance--and consider which are the most promising, influential, and important for the field. This book paints a full picture of how these theories contribute to, and explain, what we know about public administration today. The third edition is fully revised and updated to reflect the latest developments and research in the field including more coverage of governments and governance, feminist theory, emotional labor theory, and grounded research methodology. Expanded chapter conclusions, additional real-world application examples throughout, and a brand-new online supplement with sample comprehensive exam questions and summary tables make this an even more valuable resource for all public administration students"-- Provided by publisher.