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Politics of the Administrative Process
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.
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2001
51 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Donald F. Kettl
57 books9 followersDonald F. Kettl is a professor at the School of Public Policy and a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. He served as the dean of the school from 2009-2014. Prior to Maryland, he was the Robert A. Fox Leadership Professor at the University of Pennsylvania and Professor of Political Science.
Professor Kettl is a student of public policy and public management and specializes in the management of public organizations. He has appeared on national television on shows including Good Morning America, the ABC World News Tonight, the CBS Evening News, CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" and "The Situation Room," the Fox News Channel, as well as public television's News Hourand the BBC. He has testified frequently at congressional hearings in Washington and contributed to op-ed pages in major newspapers, including The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Newsday, and The Los Angeles Times. Since 1998, he has been writing a regular column for Governing magazine, "Potomac Chronicle," which is read by leading state and local government officials around the country.
Professor Kettl is the author or editor of a dozen books and monographs, including: The Next Government of the United States: Why Our Institutions Fail Us and How to Fix Them; On Risk and Disaster: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina; The Global Public Management Revolution; and Leadership at the Fed.
Two of his books have been co-winners of the Louis Brownlow Book Award of the National Academy of Public Administration for the best book published in public administration. He is the recipient of the Warner W. Stockberger Achievement Award of the International Public Management Association for Human Resources for outstanding contributions in the field of public sector personnel management (2007); the Donald C. Stone Award of the American Society for Public Administration for significant contributions to the field of intergovernmental management (2005); and the Charles H. Levine Memorial Award of the American Society for Public Administration, in recognition of contributions to research, teaching, and outreach (1998). In 2008, Kettl won the American Political Science's John Gaus Award for a lifetime of exemplary scholarship in political science and public administration.
He has consulted for a broad array of public organizations, including the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury; the Forest Service, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Budget, the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the National Commission on the Public Service (Volcker Commission), and the National Commission on the State and Local Public Service (Winter Commission). He has advised the White House during both Republican and Democratic administrations and has worked with the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Professor Kettl has also taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Vanderbilt University, the University of Virginia, and Columbia University. He has earned his bachelor's and doctorate degrees from Yale University. He is a fellow of Phi Beta Kappa and the National Academy of Public Administration. He is also a shareholder in the Green Bay Packers.
Professor Kettl is a student of public policy and public management and specializes in the management of public organizations. He has appeared on national television on shows including Good Morning America, the ABC World News Tonight, the CBS Evening News, CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" and "The Situation Room," the Fox News Channel, as well as public television's News Hourand the BBC. He has testified frequently at congressional hearings in Washington and contributed to op-ed pages in major newspapers, including The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Newsday, and The Los Angeles Times. Since 1998, he has been writing a regular column for Governing magazine, "Potomac Chronicle," which is read by leading state and local government officials around the country.
Professor Kettl is the author or editor of a dozen books and monographs, including: The Next Government of the United States: Why Our Institutions Fail Us and How to Fix Them; On Risk and Disaster: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina; The Global Public Management Revolution; and Leadership at the Fed.
Two of his books have been co-winners of the Louis Brownlow Book Award of the National Academy of Public Administration for the best book published in public administration. He is the recipient of the Warner W. Stockberger Achievement Award of the International Public Management Association for Human Resources for outstanding contributions in the field of public sector personnel management (2007); the Donald C. Stone Award of the American Society for Public Administration for significant contributions to the field of intergovernmental management (2005); and the Charles H. Levine Memorial Award of the American Society for Public Administration, in recognition of contributions to research, teaching, and outreach (1998). In 2008, Kettl won the American Political Science's John Gaus Award for a lifetime of exemplary scholarship in political science and public administration.
He has consulted for a broad array of public organizations, including the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury; the Forest Service, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Budget, the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the National Commission on the Public Service (Volcker Commission), and the National Commission on the State and Local Public Service (Winter Commission). He has advised the White House during both Republican and Democratic administrations and has worked with the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Professor Kettl has also taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Vanderbilt University, the University of Virginia, and Columbia University. He has earned his bachelor's and doctorate degrees from Yale University. He is a fellow of Phi Beta Kappa and the National Academy of Public Administration. He is also a shareholder in the Green Bay Packers.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 7, 2025
This is my first textbook I have read in its entirety, so I feel this deserves a spot on my GoodReads. I actually looked forward to reading and annotating a chapter from this book weekly for one of my graduate public policy classes. My favorite part of this book was learning how I can be a good public servant in the midst of an imperfect government.
December 18, 2010
For what it is, great. Very clear and direct, far better than most things I read this semester.
Read
August 3, 2014Read for class, not reviewing.
May 11, 2017
This book was "okay" for a textbook on a subject that isn't necessarily the most interesting. I appreciated the case studies at the ends of the chapters. Overall, the text was understandable and facilitated learning.
December 31, 2023
Had to hit my goodreads goal somehow….. I realized I was so far behind because of grad school and was actually all consumed by this book all semester lol
I actually really enjoyed the book and it got me excited for the rest of my MPA journey!
I actually really enjoyed the book and it got me excited for the rest of my MPA journey!
May 3, 2025
Read for PAD 501. Overall an engaging text that covers a variety of public administration subjects but there are noticeable errors in dates and grammar. In one chapter, Kettl wrote that 9/11 happened in 2000.
June 23, 2025
Wasn’t as informative as I was hoping for. The book included a lot of opinion, especially for a textbook. It particularly called out the Trump administration more times than necessary. I just wished it explained public administrative process in more detail.
December 7, 2022
Read for a class using most recent addition- good format and presentation of content.
September 13, 2016
This was required reading for a graduate class at Arkansas State University. The online quizzes can actually be purchased through the publisher directly. did not know till I worked my butt off for an A and the other students told me at the end of the semester. This was in 2014, I am sure they have fixed this issue.
August 30, 2020
Solid textbook. Interesting case studies. Reads pretty easy.
July 23, 2023
Great book with a lot of case studies. Perfect book to build your foundation for understanding the basics of public administration.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews