Power and Service: A Cross-National Analysis of Public Administration

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Hardy Wickwar takes a global look at public administration and investigates what governments do to, for, and with people; how governments treat their lands and the resources on, in, around, and above them; and how governments relate to their citizens through the exercise of power, law and political judgement. Relating public administration to a country's social structure, law and history, the book expounds a European model and then analyzes variants in relation to differences in geography and historical setting. Wickwar makes a distinction between continental countries where people accept the state as supremely important and "island" countries that do not. Taking as given the fact that governments render services, Wickwar examines the varying ways in which they ise their power to serve their people: what governments do themselves and what they leave for other social institutions to accomplish.

Reviews

This volume, by moving beyond painfully abstract theoretical models and dry country studies to sweeping historical summaries and broad topical categories that both inform and excite, makes an important contribution to the field. Particularly attractive are three conceptual distinctions made by Wickwar: continental versus insular administration, power administration in contrast to service management; and global as distinct from homeland administration. In discussing these and other ideas, Wickwar demonstrates deep classical learning and solid knowledge of important details. His humanism leads him to make connections with the ideas of leading philosophers, and frequent etymological digressions manifest his urge to instruct....He writes with a flowing, forceful, even elegant style that is also overly compact and succinct. One yearns for further discussion and development of provocative points.-Choice
"This volume, by moving beyond painfully abstract theoretical models and dry country studies to sweeping historical summaries and broad topical categories that both inform and excite, makes an important contribution to the field. Particularly attractive are three conceptual distinctions made by Wickwar: continental versus insular administration, power administration in contrast to service management; and global as distinct from homeland administration. In discussing these and other ideas, Wickwar demonstrates deep classical learning and solid knowledge of important details. His humanism leads him to make connections with the ideas of leading philosophers, and frequent etymological digressions manifest his urge to instruct....He writes with a flowing, forceful, even elegant style that is also overly compact and succinct. One yearns for further discussion and development of provocative points."-Choice

Author Bio

HARDY WICKWAR is Professor Emeritus of Government and International Studies at the University of South Carolina. His worldwide experience as a United Nations civil servant informs this work. Wickwar is now a consultant in health and social administration and his clients include a graduate medical education center and a council on aging. His previous publications include The Struggle for the Freedom of the Press and Political Theory of Local Government. His current project is a volume on the political science of aging.