Good Government: The Future of Research in the Study of Public Administration

In its contemporary form, the study of public administration has focused on the skills and techniques of the new career civil servant, including personnel management, budgeting, and rule-making, as well as knowledge of organizational theory, policymaking, and leadership. This stands in sharp contrast to the exploration in the 17th and 18th centuries of what constituted good government. Here we discuss conceptions of good government throughout history and then briefly zoom in on developments in the study during the 20th century. This brief excursion serves as a springboard to argue for a revival of conceptual research while acknowledging the importance of links between micro-, meso-, and macro-levels of analysis. In the 21st century there is a great need for balancing empirical and conceptual approaches to the study of public administration for understanding government’s contemporary position and role in society.