Public Administration: Concepts and Theories

Under the impact of globalisation, new ways of conceptualising administrative reality have been formulated, which explain the complexities of state-society relations and public private partnerships. This revised edition includes all these and many other new themes of contemporary relevance to the discipline of public administration and to the practising world of governance.

This book is an introduction to the study of public administration-the discipline as well as the profession-in both western and non-western administrative contexts. Major administrative theories and concepts have been explained and related to the politico-administrative situation in the developed and developing countries. Latest research findings have been used, wherever necessary, to provide empirical support to the issues discussed.

An attempt has been made to link administrative thought and practice in the context of diverse administrative systems and cultures. In recent times, many new approaches to the study of the subject have become popular. The 'public choice school', the 'new public management' paradigm, the concepts of 'governance' and 'entrepreneurial government', some of the new concepts which have emerged in the theory and teaching of the subject, have been incorporated in this new edition.

Dr (Mrs) Rumki Basu is professor and teacher incharge of the MA programme of Public Administration at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. She graduated with first class honours in Political Science from Lady Shri Ram College (University of Delhi) from where she also did her MA in the same subject. She obtained her PhD from the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and is actively engaged in teaching and research.

She has published 8 books and 30 articles, and was awarded the Indian Council of Social Science Research Fellowship (1993-95) and a UGC Research Project for a 2 year period (1998-2000). Some of her publications include The United Nations Structure and Functions, Economic liberalization and poverty alleviations, social sector expenditures & centre state relations, Globalisation and the changing role of the state (edited).