Public management in North America

Abstract

This article examines major trends and research questions that have emerged in public management scholarship in North America over the last decade. This period offers evidence of improved self-confidence and scholarship in the field, even as it remains independent of any specific discipline or core set of assumptions. Scholarship in the last decade reflects a transition in the understanding of governance. Traditional issues of public administration have received less attention, e.g., personnel management, ethics, leadership, public-private differences, implementation, and political influence on the bureaucracy. There is growing scholarship on topics that suggest efforts to change or work around the classic bureaucratic model, e.g., reform, alternative forms of governance, performance, citizen trust, participation, and e-government.

Key words:

• Network
• bureaucracy
• performance
• participation
• homeland security
• reform

Notes

¹ My thanks to Nicholas Sayen for research assistance.