Long description:

Focusing on the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy and Hungary, countries that represent key variations in European public administration, this textbook explores how the cultural, organizational, personnel and financial dimensions of public administration compare. The guiding questions are whether, to what extent and why the politico-administrative systems and their reforms show convergence or divergence from Europeanization.

Key features of the second edition:

• Country profiles, comparative reform assessments and case studies to highlight the similarities and differences among European public administrations, with explicit learning goals for each chapter
• Updated accounts of recent reforms and institutional changes as well as the major trends of public sector modernization
• Examples from both Western and Central Eastern European administrative systems to substantiate the overview on European reforms
• In-depth empirical analysis of administrative systems and reform trajectories as well as cases to enhance students' comparative interest, knowledge and skills.

Introduction to Comparative Public Administration serves as a core text for students of public policy and public administration particularly at undergraduate or graduate level. It will also be beneficial to academics and practitioners interested in the field of comparative public administration.

This introduction into comparative public administration provides an in-depth analysis of the state of public administration and recent administrative reforms in European countries. By focusing on the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy and Hungary, it highlights key types of the Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian, Continental European and Central East European variance of public administration. Its guiding question is whether and why the politico-administrative systems have shown convergence or divergence.