The Public Sector: Concepts, Models and Approaches

This wide-ranging textbook introduces students to the major concepts, models and approaches concerning the public sector. It outlines and illuminates recent theories about public policy and public administration.

The public sector is analyzed within a three-part framework: public resource allocation, redistribution and regulation. Jan-Erik Lane explains the basic concepts in each of these broad areas, and goes on to examine their consequences for various approaches to the making and implementation of public policy.

The book explores models of management, effectiveness and efficiency and assesses some problems inherent in the public choice and neo-institutionalist approaches. It gauges the contribution of organizational theory as well as models of normative policy-making.

The Public Sector provides a comprehensive introduction to modern political science analysis of the state and government. It will be essential reading for all students of government, public administration, public policy and political science.

Jan-Erik Lane is Professor of Political Science at the University of Geneva.