Pathways to Positive Public Administration

In an era of low trust in government and a pervasive negativity bias, this volume goes against the grain. It examines the foundations, practices and tools of a distinctly positive strand of public administration (PPA). This book asserts that there is a perennial need for social, evidence-based learning on what to aspire to and what works in public administration. Responding to this need, scholars from five continents present research that has been designed to do just that. Employing an array of frameworks and methods, they present studies of high-performing policies and programs and explore what makes them tick and what might be learned from how they were designed and delivered. Taken together, the 27 contributions make a powerful case for the added value of PPA as an intellectual and practical endeavour. Laying out a future agenda for the field, this book is invaluable for students and scholars of public administration and management, public policy, regulation and governance. Theoretically grounded and conceptually innovative, it is also beneficial to policymakers seeking evidence for their belief that when done well, government does make an immensely positive contribution to society.