Public Administration: An Introduction

Marc Holzer and Richard Schwester have written a fresh and highly engaging textbook for the introductory course in Public Administration.

Their coverage is both comprehensive and cutting edge, not just including all the basic topics (OT, budgeting, HRM), but also reflecting new realities in public administration:

• Innovations in e-government
• The importance of new technology
• Changes in intergovernmental relations, especially the emphasis on inter-local and shared regional resources
• Public performance and accountability initiatives

Public Administration has been crafted with student appeal in mind. Each of the book’s 14 chapters is generously and colorfully illustrated with cartoons, quotes, and artwork―all reinforcing the book’s theme that the field of PA is rooted in the cultural and political world. Each chapter is also supported with a listing of key terms, exercises, and additional resources.

Marc Holzer (Ph.D. University of Michigan) is Dean of the School of Public Affairs and Administration and Board of Governors Professor of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University's Newark Campus. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and of the World Academy of Productivity Science. Since 1975 he has directed the National Center for Public Performance, and he is the founder and editor-in-chief of the journals Public Performance and Management Review and Public Voices, and is the co-founder/co-editor of the Chinese Public Administration Review. Dr. Holzer is a past president of the American Society for Public Administration and is a recipient of several national and international awards in the field.
Richard W. Schwester (Ph.D. Rutgers University) is Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Management and Associate Director of the Academy for Critical Incident Analysis (ACIA) at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY). His research centers on police service delivery models, prison privatization, and the use of technology in government (e-government). Some of his most recent work has appeared in Public Budgeting and Finance, the International Journal of Public Administration, Public Administration Quarterly, and the International Journal of Organization Theory and Behavior.