American Public Administration: Public Service for the Twenty-First Century

American Public Administration has been the go-to introductory textbook for Public Administration courses with a focus on civil society for the better part of two decades. Now in an extensively revised and updated third edition, authors Cropf and Wagner weave the most recent and compelling research throughout every chapter to give students a useful, in-depth understanding of the field today. Changes to this edition include:

• Three new chapters, including one on public administration’s role in community resilience, a second on public administration and public health, and a complete rewrite of the chapter on managing information resources in public organizations.
• Extended discussions about the importance of civil society in public administration as well as the growing role of information technology, including the role of government in combating misinformation and disinformation.
• New coverage of topics, including but not limited to: the need for better disaster and pandemic planning at all levels of government; a need for greater preparedness related to global climate change; the worsening of the wealth inequality gap in the United States; America’s changing role in the world’s economy; important efforts to achieve racial, economic, and social equality and the response from government; and the increasing and evolving relationship between police and the community in the United States.
• Fully updated pedagogical tools including chapter summaries, discussion questions, brief case studies, case study discussion questions, key terms, and suggestions for further reading in each chapter, as well as accompanying support material that can be easily incorporated into Learning Management Systems (LMS), including Canvas and Blackboard.

Comprehensive, well-written, and offering a careful consideration of the fundamentals, American Public Administration, Third Edition is an ideal introductory text for courses at undergraduate or graduate level, offering students a broader civil society context in which to understand public service.

Robert A. Cropf is a Professor of Political Science and Co-Director of the Public and Social Policy Ph.D. program at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, MO, USA. He is the author of numerous books, articles, and chapters on public administration and public policy. He has a BA from Cornell University and an MPA and PHD from New York University.

John L. Wagner works with Saint Louis, MO area communities and national partner organizations in evaluating regional land use, public policy, economic development, infrastructure investment, and environmental sustainability. Dr. Wagner holds a PhD in Public Policy Studies from Saint Louis University, USA.