Exorcising Our Demons: Comments on a New Direction for Public Administration Theory

Abstract

The field of public administration has grown accustomed to the presence of an identity crisis. In his opus, Dubnick (2018) addresses the existence of this crisis, noting where we are as a field and highlighting some of the debate that got us there. In response to Dubnick, I argue that our position as a profession rather than a discipline relates to the failure of the field to pay attention to our history. Giving consideration to our history, we find that public administration as a discipline contains those who study public administration, and a profession or practice of those who are public administrators. As a field, the conversation should move beyond the study or the practice and accept the duality that is a sign a mature subject area.

The future of public administration research: An editor's perspective

“…As noted in the “Introduction,” public administration as a discipline originated in various ways in different countries, emerging out of such fields as political science, economics, accounting, law, management, and social work. For much of the field's history, this interdisciplinary nature has created something of an identity crisis that has left us wondering who we are, where we come from, and what we should do (Dubnick, 2018; Mainzer, 1994; McDonald, 2018; Raadschelders, 2011; Ricucci, 2010). However, despite our past struggles, we have seen the field begin to embrace an interdisciplinary future (Uwizeyimana & Basheka, 2017; Wright, 2011).…”