Theory and Methods in British Public Administration: the view from Political Science

This paper explores the contemporary history of that area of intellectual inquiry known as Public Administration. It focuses on developments in the 1980s and on the contribution of political science. It argues that the subject is diverse and characterized by competing theoretical frameworks. It evaluates organization theory, state theory, rational choice, public management and their associated methods. It concludes that Public Administration has reacted defensively to developments in the 1980s and that the distinctive contribution from political science lies in multi-theoretic research, methodological pluralism, setting one's own agenda, the avoidance of trivial organizations and the defence of public bureaucracies.     

政治学行政学前沿:研究路径与方法论

前沿是一个学科发展的新趋势、新思潮、新分支、新主题和新方法,代表了学术研究方向性的创新思想、观念、原理和体系。研究政治学、行政学理论前沿,可以从具有重大时代意义的话题、社会广泛关注的难题、学界集中研究的论题、政府部门的治理命题中去把握,应当在创新性强的实践中去体验和阐发。研究理论前沿是为了创造前沿性思想。按照学术的成长规律、演化规律和整合规律,运用目标分析、比较研究、趋势分析、多学科交叉研究等创新研究方法论,研究政治学、行政学理论前沿,可望从中打开学术创新的“窗口”。     

The Science of Public Administration: Problems,Presumptions, Progress,and Possibilities

Nearly 70 years ago, Dahl noted the difficulty of constructing a science of public administration that was plagued by three interrelated problems: values, behavior, and culture. Underlying all three problems was the presumption that public administration could establish a set of universal principles independent of moral or political ends, individual human differences, or social influences. In discussing these three broad and easily accessible themes, Dahl did more than identify and critique the field's problems and presumptions. He also provided a road map to move the field forward and establish a science of public administration. Drawing on the framework provided by Dahl, this article argues that the field has made considerable progress in recognizing, if not addressing, each problem raised by Dahl. Even so, several current presumptions or omissions are also identified that, if challenged, can provide additional possibilities to advance the science of public administration.     

公共管理学的法律途径及教育整合研究

管理主义日益凸显的唯效率造成的公平价值和公共性的缺失,以及社会和公共管理学自身的日益成长,都促使和呼唤公共管理学法律途径研究及教育的兴起和发展。本文力图论证公共管理法律途径的重要性和可行性,阐明公共管理法律途径的主要内容及研究进路,并对优化公共管理教育结构、重新定位不同层次公共管理教育目标、合理整合公共管理教育与法律学教育资源的问题提出了自己的看法。     

Behavioral Public Administration: Combining Insights from Public Administration and Psychology

Behavioral public administration is the analysis of public administration from the micro‐level perspective of individual behavior and attitudes by drawing on insights from psychology on the behavior of individuals and groups. The authors discuss how scholars in public administration currently draw on theories and methods from psychology and related fields and point to research in public administration that could benefit from further integration. An analysis of public administration topics through a psychological lens can be useful to confirm, add nuance to, or extend classical public administration theories. As such, behavioral public administration complements traditional public administration. Furthermore, it could be a two‐way street for psychologists who want to test the external validity of their theories in a political‐administrative setting. Finally, four principles are proposed to narrow the gap between public administration and psychology.     

Public Management and Administration: a Need for Evolution

Recently, British public management has relied too much on private sector approaches suited to market‐facing situations, to the detriment of systems based on a realistic estimate of the special nature of public business, and its needs for economy and co‐ordination. Accountability processes have suffered from over‐simplification (targetry) and from a gross multiplication of mechanisms focusing on individual error, as opposed to ensuring intelligent assessment of business results. There has been an over‐emphasis on management of inputs and outputs, as opposed to systems gearing the result‐producing mechanisms to means for policy formation and co‐ordination of effort. We need now to re‐think and define properly the systems whereby ministers are advised, account is rendered, resources are allocated and effort is co‐ordinated—and the qualifications of the relevant actors. Suggestions are made to these ends.     

论公家秩序:家国关系的历史政治学阐释北大核心CSSCISSCI

作为国家治理传统中心轴的家国关系自现代转型以来经历了困境:在实践中被捍卫、被维系,在学理上却被抨击、被解构。走出西方现代性的单向思维控制,反思家父长制、家产官僚制、家天下等话语,是重构国家治理体系理论的必要条件。依据钱穆著述,公家秩序论尝试提出植根于中国经验和智慧的解释框架。政治与社会一体、政治法统尊重社会是家国关系的精髓。人伦主义主张个体通过耦伍共成树立自我,把家作为公家秩序的起点和原型,国和天下又在家的推衍层积中形成,这个元宪制涵括了不同于个人主义的群己公私观。只有建立在人类性情关系上的大群秩序才能扩展并长生,天下为公和天下一家分别从公与家的两端构筑了秩序的至善规范。超越政体论制度主义的观察视角,公家秩序的历史生成机制表现出共同体基于家而展开模拟融扩与修正矫治的内生二重性,生发原理与组织原理显现为主从关系。公家秩序的权力组织受到家团体原型、人伦主义和礼治的涵容,铸就了政治与教化、社会、经济一体化的礼法特质,这也是家国韧性的宪制缘由。     

铁道公安学是公安学的一个分支学科

有人认为,铁道公安学是保卫学中的一部分或具体学科,这种观点明显错误。实际上,铁道公安学具有自己独特的研究对象和研究内容,是公安学的一个分支学科。本文就学科性质、学科划分、研究对象以及铁道公安学与公安学的关系进行了论证。     

New Political Governance in Westminster Systems: Impartial Public Administration and Management Performance at Risk

This article examines the phenomenon of increased political pressures on governments in four Westminster systems (Australia, Britain, Canada, and New Zealand) derived from changes in mass media and communications, increased transparency, expanded audit, increased competition in the political marketplace, and political polarization in the electorate. These pressures raise the risk to impartial public administration and management performance to the extent that governments integrate governance and campaigning, allow political staff to be a separate force in governance, politicize top public service posts, and expect public servants to be promiscuously partisan. The article concludes that New Zealand is best positioned to cope with these risks, in part because of its process for independently staffing its top public service posts. The article recommends this approach as well as the establishment of independently appointed management boards for public service departments and agencies to perform the governance of management function.     

公共行政的新思维——后现代公共行政理论的理论贡献

后现代公共行政理论作为后现代公共管理理论的先锋派,代表了公共行政领域中一种新的思维方式。它不仅对传统的以官僚制为基础的公共管理模式进行了全面的解构,还对传统公共管理模式的两种替代理论进行了批判,并在此基础上提出了自己的既能承接后现代的状况又能与民主理想相一致的话语理论。     

公共行政学研究方法：问题与反思

公共行政学有三种研究取向:解释性、诠释性以及批判性研究,其中实证主义在公共行政学领域曾一度占据着主导地位。一些西方学者以实证主义的有效性标准来评估公共行政学的研究现状,另一些学者则对此展开了批判与质疑,他们认为不同的研究取向都有其自身的价值,不能用主流社会科学的衡量标准来评估诠释性研究与批判性研究,并由此引发了对西方公共行政学研究现状的反思。中国公共行政学研究在方法上也存在一些问题——理论脱离实际倾向严重;基本的公共行政学学术规范还没有建立起来,研究方法极不严谨,研究质量存在严重的问题;对定性研究存在认识上的误区;等等。在比较分析的基础上提出改善中国公共行政学研究状况的对策思考,尤其强调要注意区分公共行政学研究在不同国家所处的阶段不同。     

Public Administration in a Conflict Situation: The Case of Northern Ireland

This article examines recent developments in the public administrative system in Northern Ireland. The conflict in Northern Ireland has received widespread publicity, Yet government in the region continues. Public services are delivered. The article considers how the public administrative system has played its part in the management by the British government of the conflict. There are many other situations where there is political violence. The Northern Ireland case may offer insights to public administrators and policymakers in managing such situations.     

Political Science Research Internships and Political Science Education

This article reports on the evaluation of political science research internships and considers their costs and benefits for a political science education. Students indicated high levels of appreciation of the inaugural Political Science Research Internship Unit at the University of Western Australia in terms of its contribution to their personal development and work experience. A substantial number of interns gained insights into the policy process through this form of experiential learning. Many came to appreciate the contingency and the normative dimensions of knowledge in the policy process. Whereas about half of the students found the transition from the seminar room to the policy world difficult, the other half were more successful in applying their theoretical knowledge to practical experiences. The article also indicates how this evaluation informs future course design.