History and American Public Administration

Abstract

As the end of this millennium approaches, American public administration has begun a reexamination of its history. This article examines American public administration’s understanding and use of history and suggests improvements in public administration theory that might derive from a more conscientious treatment of history. It begins by framing an understanding of history that does not retreat to the ancient faith in immutable truth but eschews the typical modern dependence on a belief in progress. Many public administration textbooks present the history of American public administration as if it did not really begin until the 1880s, treating the Progressive Era as the foundation for the eternal verities of public administration. A more inclusive view could be more intelligently critical of Progressive Era innovations. It could also provide a more complete understanding of who public administrators are and how they can become what they want to be.

PAR’s Social Equity Footprint

“…A few public administration scholars have expressed concern regarding the lack of academic scholarship on American Indians (Aufrecht ; Luton ; Ortiz ). There have been only two articles published in PAR that focus on equity issues relative to American Indians (Aufrecht and Case ; Ronquillo ).…”

Woodrow Wilson’s Administrative Thought and German Political Theory

“…Several authors hold that an ahistorical perspective prevails in American Public Administration (Luton 1999, 210; Raadschelders 2003, 161; Raadschelders et al 2000; Spicer 2004; Stillman 1997, 335) 1 . Ahistorical reasoning may be the reason why American scholars have sometimes been reluctant to admit a certain debt to continental European sources (Lowery 1993; Miewald 1994).…”

Race and Social Equity

“…Ironically, the first Americans are often researched and discussed last (if at all) in social equity analysis. A similar pattern holds for the public administration literature more generally, with only a few public administrators articulating the need to include tribal governance in public administration studies (Aufrecht 1999;Luton 1999;Ronquillo 2011). As Lomawaima and McCarty assert, "How the U.S. government and its nontribal citizens wrestle with their relationship with tribes lies at the core of the question of whether social justice and democracy can coexist" (2002,281).…”