This textbook is a comprehensive, student-friendly guide to understanding the fundamentals of public administration. It examines the recent developments and relevant theoretical underpinnings in an accessible manner. Public Administration: Helps students grasp key dialectical interconnections between theoretical conceptualizations and prevalent socio-economic and political circumstances Provides understanding of issues in governance Analyses significant transformations in civil society and administrative set-ups across the world Highlights the contributions of non-Western thinkers in the development of conceptual ideas of the discipline Accessibly written, it caters to a wide range of university syllabi in public administration and will be essential for students and researchers of political science, public policy and public administration. It will also be particularly useful for those preparing for the civil service examinations.

At the time of its initial publication, Public Administration helped to define this field of study and practice by introducing two major new emphases: an orientation toward human behavior and human relations in organizations, and an emphasis on the interaction between administration, politics, and policy. Without neglecting more traditional concerns with organization structure, Simon, Thompson, and Smithburg viewed administration in its behavioral and political contexts. The viewpoints they express still are at the center of public administration’s concerns.