Scope and Theory of Public Administration: The Shaping Influences of Interdisciplinary Discourse

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The scope and theory of American public administration have expanded outward over time through the process of interdisciplinary discourse. Interdisciplinary approaches are rooted in ancient times, but it is in modern applications that the process has become most noticeable as a substantive influence in how academic disciplines and professional practices evolve. The process of interdisciplinary discourse occurs first by decoding and interpreting basic language and concepts, and then progresses to an operationalization of ideas, consensus-building, synthesis and integration, and eventually the systematization of knowledge. It is from the systematization of knowledge that a disciplines foundations are forged and evolve. Government is as old as society, but American public administration emerged as a structured field largely toward the late nineteenth-century, developing over the course of 125 years through the exchange of interdisciplinary ideas. The current literature on interdisciplinary approaches focuses almost exclusively upon basic teaching and research applications. This book extends the topic significantly by developing a formal process by which basic, intermediate, and advanced levels of communication are analyzed and understood. The value of this approach rests in being able to explore public administration history and contemporary times through the assorted contexts and ideas which affected the lower order core constructs (concepts, values, and principles) and higher order associational constructs (methodologies, theories, and foundations) that have been forged. As the fields scope and theory expanded over time through the exchange of interdisciplinary content, lower levels of consensus from within caused segments of academicians to argue that an intellectual crisis had occurred, reflecting the lack of a unifying theory or paradigm. Debate over what role traditional modes of inquiry and thought would have in a contemporary era of scientific techniques naturally propelled the field into a normative-science debate. This, along with the rise of competing theories, advancements in technology, and an emphasis on establishing public administration as a relevant field with professional stature, led to two subsequent recastings during which the field has modernized and updated itself gradually over the course of several years. A third recasting may be on the horizon, carrying forward the many shaping influences of interdisciplinary discourse.

Reviews

Baracskays book, which consists of eight chapters, explores specific eras of public administrations history by examining interdisciplinary development discourse (IDD). He discusses how IDD affected the direction of scholarship and practice of public administration from the late 19th century to the present day. He states that allowing various disciplines to interface ... creates workable solutions and attracts students to innovative research settings reflective of post-graduate work environments. Baracskay discusses "how competition, conflict, and partial consensus push disciplines in new directions without necessarily resolving theoretical inconsistencies. He uses many graphs throughout the book that capture the essence of the conversation. Within one graph he relates the steps in the IDD process to the associated levels of IDD, and denotes the primary constructs involved: concepts, values, principles, theories, foundations, and methodologies. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students. * CHOICE *
A thoroughly enjoyable book. Baracskay provides a comprehensive treatment of public administration, showing how the field was shaped by influences from a wide range of disciplines and schools of thought. Approaching public administration as the product of ongoing cross-disciplinary discourse allows Baracskay to organize the field in an easily understandable manner. His wide-ranging scholarship makes a compelling case for the need to understand these influences in order to make sense of the field as a whole. Baracskay has gifted students with a well-written book mapping the field and drawing its disparate parts clearly and closely together. -- Aaron Wachhaus, University of Baltimore
Daniel Barackays new text qualifies as one of the very best scope and theory texts Ive found. It is exhaustive, readable, and well organized. Baracskay's interdisciplinary approach is highly suitable for making manageable the complexity of our profession. The key literatures on which the discipline is founded are thoroughly examined. As a visual learner I appreciate the authors liberal use of excellent graphics to summarize all key issues. In short, anyone teaching a graduate scope and theory course in P.A. ought to seriously consider this fine new offering. -- J.S. McDonald, University of Texas at El Paso

Author Bio

Daniel Baracskay is professor of political science and public administration at Valdosta State University.