Nonquantitative Research in Law and Public Administration: Approaches in the United States

Abstract

This article presents an overview of nonquantitative research in the field of law and public administration in the United States. We first consider the extent to which law is relevant to public administrative practice. Next, we review the status of public administration research in the academic field of law and legal research in the academic field of public administration, standard analytic frameworks for researching the intersections of law and public administration, and contemporary tools for doing legal research. We conclude that these excellent tools notwithstanding, successful research often requires deep substantive knowledge of both law and public administration

Keywords:

• administrative encounters
• courts and social policy
• gap analysis
• single case research
• statutory analysis

Additional information

Notes on contributors

David H. Rosenbloom

David H. Rosenbloom is Distinguished Professor of Public Administration at American University in Washington, DC. His research has been cited for authority by several justices in two U.S. Supreme Court cases.

Jon B. Gould

Jon B. Gould is a Foundation Professor and Director of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University. An expert on justice policy, social change, and government reform, his research especially addresses erroneous convictions, indigent defense, prosecutorial innovation, police behavior, hate speech, sexual harassment, and international human rights.