1. The Founding Era/early republic (1770s-1790s) and models of government and administration. (Includes topics such as: the Federalists and Anti-Federalists; exploration of matters such as their contemporary significance for public administration, or ideas, issues, people or events during the Founding Era. See authors such as John Rohr, Larry Terry, Michael Spicer).
The Progressive Era (1880-1920) and public administration. (Includes topics such as: Municipal reform; patronage and personnel system reform; women and the settlement house movement as the beginning of social welfare and nonprofits; beginnings of the regulatory state in areas such as food and drugs, federal land management, controlling trusts/monopolies. See authors such as Camilla Stivers, Hindy Lauer Schachter, O. C. McSwite, Greg Cawley).
The New Deal (1930s) and the rise of the modern federal government. (Includes topics such as: POSDCORB concepts of management; creation of social welfare programs and agencies. See authors such as Luther Gulick, Leonard D. White and contemporary authors).
Public administration and the nature of democracy and citizenship. (Includes topics such as Politics and administration; administrative legitimacy; models of citizenship; the public professional and citizen participation in governance. See authors such as Dwight Waldo, Mary Parker Follett, Cheryl King, Camilla Stivers).
New Public Management compared with other models of public administration such as traditional PA and New Public Administration. (Includes topics such as: Value bases and characteristics; effects on service delivery, citizen self-governance, the role of the public service practitioner. See authors such as Donald Kettl, H. George Frederickson, O. C. McSwite, Richard Box, Robert Denhardt)
Themes of public administration (Includes topics such as: politics versus administration, bureaucracy versus democracy, gender and public administration, government and the market, government and civil society/nonprofit organizations, public vs. private, instrumental versus value in public administration, reform, etc.).
Electronic search tools for academic sources are useful in conducting research though they often cover only a portion of the relevant literature. There is no substitute for reading source materials, discovering what has been written about the topic, and following citations to additional sources. Library resources are limited and more than one student may be working simultaneously on the same topic. Please do not keep books out of the library for extended periods. Instead, make notes and copy needed material, then return the book. The professor may be consulted when the student has conducted a thorough search using the tools and materials discussed here and assistance is needed with focusing the search or topic.
Public administration and related journals and magazines of particular interest for this course include: Public Administration Review, American Review of Public Administration, Administration & Society, Administrative Theory & Praxis, Public Performance & Management Review, The Responsive Community, National Civic Review, and Governing. Related journals from fields such as management, the nonprofit sector, political science, history, sociology, and so on may be useful depending on the topic of the paper.
