Introduction : anti-politics in public administration -- Value pluralism and moral experience -- Politics, conciliation, and value pluralism -- Politics and the limitations of a science of governance -- A pluralist approach to public administration : adversary argument -- Constitutionalism, and administrative discretion -- Conclusion : practical moral reasoning in public administration.

Politicians are reviled. From jokes on late-night TV talk shows to radio show rants and from public opinion polls to ubiquitous conventional wisdom—politicians are among the most despised professional class in modern society. Drawing on seminal work in political science, Stephen K. Medvic convincingly argues to the masses that this blanket condemnation of politicians is both unfair and unwarranted. While some individual politicians certainly deserve scorn for misjudgments, moral failings, or even criminal acts, the assumption that all of them should be cast in a similar light is unjustified. More importantly, that deeply cynical assumption is dangerous to the legitimacy of a democratic system of government. Politicians, as a class, deserve respect, not out of blind obedience to authority but because democratic deliberation requires it. Medvic explains how cognitive biases in the way people reason often lead us to draw unjustified conclusions of politicians in general based on the malfeasance of some. Scandals involving politicians are likely to be remembered and to serve as "evidence" of the belief that "they all do it." Most politicians, in fact, care deeply about their cities, states, and nation. But they face a trap of unrealistic and contradictory expectations from the public about how politicians should behave. Medvic, in turn, demonstrates the necessity of ambition, the utility of politics for resolving conflicts peacefully, and the value of ideology in framing political choices. In the end, citizens must learn to tolerate the inherent messiness of politics as the only viable alternative to violent conflict. In the process, we must embrace our role in the political system as well.

The third edition of Kettl (U. of Pennsylvania) and Fesler's (Yale U.) textbook has been fully updated and completely revised to place public administration even more fully within its political contexts and to focus more explicitly on how the governmental system translates broad policy ideas into frontline results. Changes to the text include revis

How do political appointees chosen to head government agencies deal with the powerful political forces that surround them? In a fascinating and instructive book Philip B. Heymann draws on his own experience and on the successes and failures of such prominent officials as Casper Weinberger, Anne Burford Gorsuch, Les Aspin, Edwin Meese, and Joseph Califano in order to explore the political context of high-level government management. Not only has Heymann written a superb manual for would-be presidential appointees, he has written an insightful political history of the past decade and a half.-Issues in Science and Technology Great help to incumbents as well as newcomers, and one classic-to-be in its field.-The Bureaucrat In my opinion, Heymann has written the most interesting book on the politics of management since Chester Barnard.-Theodore R. Marmor, Yale University A marvelous combination of analytics commentary and case illustrations, The Politics of Public Management is filled with insights that are both powerful and original.-Richard E. Neustadt, Harvard University

The politics-administration dichotomy is much mentioned and often criticized in the Public Administration literature. The Politics-Administration Dichotomy: Toward a Constitutional Perspective, Second Edition offers a book-length treatment of this classical notion. While public administration academics typically reject it as an outdated and even dangerous idea, it re-emerges implicitly in their analyses. This book tells the story of how this has happened and suggests a way to get out of the quandary. It analyzes the dichotomy position in terms of content, purpose, and relevance. What’s in the Second Edition Extensive study of the politics-administration dichotomy as a classic idea in Public Administration A much-overlooked constitutionalist line of argument in defense of this widely discredited notion Exploration and further development of the intellectual legacy of Dwight Waldo Coverage of the dichotomy’s conceptual origins in 18th and 19th century Continental-European thought An assessment of main criticisms against and alternatives for the dichotomy presented in the literature Contributions to the newly emerging Constitutional School in the study of public administration An argument against the institutional separation of Political Science and Public Administration in academia Completely revised and updated, the book examines the idea that politics and public administration should be separated in our theories and practices of government. A combination of history of ideas and theoretical analysis, it reconstructs the dichotomy’s conceptual origins and classical understandings and gives an assessment of the main criticisms raised against it and the chief alternatives suggested for it. Arguing that one-sided interpretations have led to the dichotomy’s widespread but wrongful dismissal, the study shows how it can be recovered as a meaningful idea when understood as a constitutional principle. This study helps readers make sense of highly confused debates and challenge the issues with an original and provocative stance.

The former police chief and news commentator makes a compelling case for the importance of civil service in this timely book—foreword by Elijah Cummings. When those we elect descend into partisan tribalism, criminal malfeasance, and emulation of foreign autocracies and oligarchies, where do we turn? Cedric Alexander believes it is the unelected, apolitical "fourth branch" of government—our nation's public servants, civil servants, and first responders—who must save the nation. Alexander, a former deputy mayor, police chief, and CNN commentator, argues that these people do not constitute a nefarious “deep state” pursuing a hidden agenda. They are the analysts, scientists, lawyers, accountants, educators, consultants, enforcers of regulations, and first responders of every kind who keep the country running and its people safe. This book recounts the evolution of the professional civil service as an antidote to widespread cronyism, with examples of how it has served as a bulwark against powerful corrupting influences. It describes the role civil servants play in bringing our badly divided society together.