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Politics of the Administrative Process
Ninth Edition
- Donald F. Kettl - University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
Other Titles in:
Public Policy & Public Administration
Public Policy & Public Administration
October 2023 | 480 pages | CQ Press
Efficient public administration requires a delicate balance between politics, accountability, and performance--bureaucracy must be powerful enough to be effective but also accountable to elected officials and citizens. Author Don Kettl understands that the push and pull of political forces in a democracy make the functions of bureaucracy both contentious and crucial. In The Politics of the Administrative Process, he gives students a realistic, relevant, and well-researched view of the field featuring engaging vignettes and rich examples from current events like the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ninth Edition has been thoroughly updated with an additional chapter, as well as new scholarship, data, and case studies, giving students multiple opportunities to apply ideas and analysis as they read.
1. The Foundations of Public Administration
2. Accountability
PART I: The Job of Government
3. What Government Does—and How It Does It
4. What Is Public Administration?
PART II: Organizational Theory and the Role of Government’s Structure
5. Organizational Theory
6. The Executive Branch
7. Organization Problems
8. Administrative Reform
PART III: People in Government Organizations
9. The Civil Service
10. Human Capital
PART IV: Making and Implementing Government Decisions
11. Decision Making: Rationality and Risk
12. Budgeting
13. Implementation and Performance
PART V: Administration in a Democracy
14. Regulation and the Courts
15. Accountability and Oversight
Supplements
Instructor Resource Site
Instructor Resource Site
Online resources included with this text
The online resources for your text are available via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site, which offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank and editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides.
For additional information, custom options, or to request a personalized walkthrough of these resources, please contact your sales representative.
Instructor Resource Site
Online resources included with this text
The online resources for your text are available via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site, which offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank and editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides.
For additional information, custom options, or to request a personalized walkthrough of these resources, please contact your sales representative.
I have reviewed this textbook in the past, but never adopted it. This 2023 updated version is much improved both in terms of content and ways for students to engage with the course materials. When I decided to rethink my fall 2025 course given current events, I found that the Kettl textbook had the right balance of history, data, and theory to help students understand the operations of government in relationship to citizens and political institutions.
Political Science Dept, Rhode Island College
June 29, 2025
I wanted a book that was recent and had a good mix of theory and practical examples. I also wanted a book with case studies to allow the students to work through real life examples. This updated book offered me that ability.
Political Science, James Madison University - Harrisonburg
May 2, 2024
