Rosenbloom, David H. and Melvin J. Dubnick, “Farewell from the Catbird Seat (editorial)” with D. H. Rosenbloom, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REVIEW, 55, no. 6 (November/December, 1996): 503-505.
AI-Generated Summary:
The document reflects on the end of a 11-year editorial partnership, discussing the state of public administration research, practice, and reform efforts.
Editorial Reflection and Acknowledgments
- The authors thank institutions, colleagues, and organizations that supported their editorial work over 11 years.
- They received recognition, including the Thomas Dye Award, for their contributions to public administration scholarship.
- The partnership began with the Policy Studies Journal and continued at PAR since 1991.
State of Knowledge Production in Public Administration
- Public administration research is healthy, with about 230 manuscripts reviewed annually.
- There is a strong, growing knowledge base, mostly about what does not work.
- Many compendia of knowledge, like Handbooks and Encyclopedias, are now available.
Practice and Reform in Public Administration
- Much research is underutilized but still influences practice, especially through reform efforts like Reinventing Government.
- Practice reform often applies existing research rather than creating new solutions.
- Some authors lack practical experience, leading to unrealistic or superficial proposals.
Focus on Values and Human Nature
- Core issues involve underlying values, which are often in conflict, affecting reform proposals.
- Different views of human nature influence reform approaches, from Hobbesian to Rousseauian perspectives.
- Recognizing these perspectives is essential for meaningful reform.
Historical and Legal Foundations
- Many manuscripts lack historical context, risking a loss of understanding of administrative development.
- Law is often misunderstood or ignored, despite its central role in administrative practice.
- Legal frameworks like Administrative Procedure Acts are crucial for regulation and transparency.
Methodology and Reform Prescriptions
- The field is improving in methodological rigor, especially in statistical techniques.
- Case studies are improving but remain somewhat suspect.
- Reform proposals sometimes lack logical connection to identified problems and diagnoses.
Political Aspects of Reform
- Some manuscripts exaggerate faults of the status quo to push reform, leading to bureaucratic bashing.
- This tendency can undermine responsible public administration and foster blame cultures.
- Maintaining integrity and professionalism is vital amid political pressures.
International and Comparative Public Administration
- American public administration is influential worldwide, used in many democracies and nondemocracies.
- Lessons from other countries are valuable, but large-scale reforms must consider contextual differences.
- Globalization encourages cross-national learning, though caution is necessary.
Overall Outlook and Final Remarks
- The field shows strong development and engagement, with a focus on practice, values, history, and methodology.
- The authors look forward to future research without editorial influence.