A comparative, interdisciplinary examination of the mechanismsbehind public administration
Global Dimensions of Public Administration and Governanceis a comprehensive, comparative text on the structure and functionof governments around the world. Written by two of the field'sleading public administration scholars, this book provides aninterdisciplinary perspective and a global, historical, andtheoretical examination of the management and governance of themodern state. Readers learn how territory, bureaucracy, andpolitical systems influence policy and reform in over thirtycountries, and how these mechanisms affect the everyday lives ofcitizens. This comparative approach features rich examples of howpolicy is shaped by culture, and how modern policy principles arefiltered to fit a country's needs and expectations. Chaptersconclude with comparative analyses that help readersbetter-understand the role and position of government in thecontemporary world, both in democratic societies andless-than-democratic environments.

Governance doesn't happen in a vacuum. Those responsible forpolicy, regulation, and reform take cues from history, currentevents, and visions for the future to inform thinking on mattersthat can potentially affect a large number of everyday lives. Thisbook illustrates the thought process, providing the necessaryinsight these important decisions require.

Understand the relationship between structure and function ofgovernment
Learn how policy is culture-dependent
Examine the political and societal contexts of reform
Discover the myriad forms of modern bureaucracy
The various social sciences provide valuable information andperspectives for those involved in public administration. Thoseperspectives converge here to form a thorough, well-rounded,examination of the success and failure possible, and the mechanismsthrough which they take place. Global Dimensions of PublicAdministration and Governance provides a detailed, wide-ranginglook at how modern governments operate, how they got this far, andwhere they're headed for the future.