B. Guy Peters – författare

Liberal democracy is at risk. Its hallmark institutions - political pluralism, separation of powers, and rule of law-are coming under pressure, as authoritarian sentiment is growing around the globe. While liberal-democratic backsliding features prominently in social science scholarship, especially the branches concerned with political parties and political behavior, public administration research lags behind. However, without considering illiberal approaches towards the executive, efforts of actual and aspiring authoritarians remain only partly understood. State bureaucracies are, after all, important instruments of power. This timely and important volume addresses the administrative implications of liberal-democratic backsliding. It studies public administrations as objects and subjects in the context of illiberal dynamics. For this purpose, the volume brings together an international group of scholars to analyze authoritarian tendencies in several countries. The contributions combine theoretical with empirical work, providing the first comparative perspective on an overlooked aspect of one of the most important contemporary political trends.

The field of policy studies has always been interested in analyzing and improving the sets of policy tools adopted by governments to correct policy problems, and better understanding and improving processes of policy analysis and policy formulation in order to do so. Past studies have helped clarify the role of historical processes, policy capacities and design intentions in affecting policy formulation processes, and more recently in understanding how the bundling of multiple policy elements together to meet policy goals can be better understood and done. While this work has progressed, however, the discussion of what goals policy designs should serve remains disjointed. Here it is argued that a central goal, in fact, 'the' central goal, of policy design is effectiveness. Effectiveness serves as the basic goal of any design, upon which is built other goals such as efficiency or equity.

Contemporary public administration reflects its historical roots, as well as contemporary ideas about how the public bureaucracy should be organized and function. This book argues that there are administrative traditions that have their roots centuries ago but continue to influence administrative behaviour. Further within Western Europe, North America, and the Antipodes there are four distinctive administrative traditions: Anglo-American, Napoleonic, Germanic, and Scandinavian. These are not the only traditions however, and the book also explores administrative traditions in Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Islamic world. In addition, the book contains a discussion of how administrative traditions of the colonial powers influenced contemporary administration in Africa, and how they continue to interact with traditional forms of governance. These discussions of tradition and persistence are also discussed in light of the numerous attempts to reform and change public administration. Some administrative traditions have been more capable than others of resisting attempts at reform, especially those associated with the New Public Management.

Governance has become one of the most commonly used concepts in contemporary political science. It is, however, often used to mean a variety of different things. This book helps to clarify this conceptual muddle by concentrating on one variety of governance-interactive governance. The authors argue that although the state may remain important for many aspects of governing, interactions between state and society represent an important, and perhaps increasingly important, dimension of governance. These interactions may be with social actors such as networks, with market actors or with other governments, but all these forms represent means of governing involving mixtures of state action with the actions of other entities.This book explores thoroughly this meaning of governance, and links it to broader questions of governance. In the process of explicating this dimension of governance the authors also explore some of the more fundamental questions about governance theory. For example, although governance is talked about a great deal political science has done relatively little about how to measure this concept. Likewise, the term multi-level governance has become widely used but its important to understand that idea more fully and see how it functions in the context of interactive forms of governance. The authors also link governance to some very fundamental questions in political science and the social sciences more broadly. How is power exercised in interactive governance? How democratic is interactive governance, and is democratic governance always advanced through transparency?

This book is the second of two volumes that examine how EU member states co-ordinate their European policies. In this second volume, the focus is on the European level. The book investigates the strategies deployed by eleven member states -- Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom - and examines the role played by the permanent representation, and the structures and processes that link national officials in Brussels and at home. From a comparative perspective, the book identifies and assesses the organisation, functions and effectiveness of the permanent representation, and the part that it plays in the national system of co-ordination. It considers the influences that have shaped systems of national co-ordination -- the demands exerted by Union membership, the institutional structure of the national polity, the pre-existing balance between domestic institutions, administrative norms and values, and attitudes, both popular and elite, to European integration. It assesses the extent to which there has been a convergent response to the administrative challenges posed by membership on the part of the member states or whether a pattern of divergence endures. The question of effectiveness is also addressed.The companion volume explores co-ordination institutions, structures and procedures at the domestic level. Looking at ten member states, it offers a comprehensive comparative analysis of the way in national governments organise European policy making.

Governance has become one of the most commonly used concepts in contemporary political science. It is, however, often used to mean a variety of different things. This book helps to clarify this conceptual muddle by concentrating on one variety of governance-interactive governance. The authors argue that although the state may remain important for many aspects of governing, interactions between state and society represent an important, and perhaps increasingly important, dimension of governance. These interactions may be with social actors such as networks, with market actors or with other governments, but all these forms represent means of governing involving mixtures of state action with the actions of other entities.This book explores thoroughly this meaning of governance, and links it to broader questions of governance. In the process of explicating this dimension of governance the authors also explore some of the more fundamental questions about governance theory. For example, although governance is talked about a great deal political science has done relatively little about how to measure this concept. Likewise, the term multi-level governance has become widely used but its important to understand that idea more fully and see how it functions in the context of interactive forms of governance. The authors also link governance to some very fundamental questions in political science and the social sciences more broadly. How is power exercised in interactive governance? How democratic is interactive governance, and is democratic governance always advanced through transparency?

What does political science tell us about important real-world problems and issues? And to what extent does and can political analysis contribute to solutions? Debates about the funding, impact and relevance of political science in contemporary democracies have made this a vital and hotly contested topic of discussion, and in this original text authors from around the world respond to the challenge.A robust defence is offered of the achievements of political science research, but the book is not overly sanguine given its sustained recognition of the need for improvement in the way that political science is done. New insights are provided into the general issues raised by relevance, into blockages to relevance, and into the contributions that the different subfields of political science can and do make. The book concludes with a new manifesto for relevance that seeks to combine a commitment to rigour with a commitment to engagement.

What does political science tell us about important real-world problems and issues? And to what extent does and can political analysis contribute to solutions? Debates about the funding, impact and relevance of political science in contemporary democracies have made this a vital and hotly contested topic of discussion, and in this original text authors from around the world respond to the challenge.A robust defence is offered of the achievements of political science research, but the book is not overly sanguine given its sustained recognition of the need for improvement in the way that political science is done. New insights are provided into the general issues raised by relevance, into blockages to relevance, and into the contributions that the different subfields of political science can and do make. The book concludes with a new manifesto for relevance that seeks to combine a commitment to rigour with a commitment to engagement.

Having started out as a new and alternative way of thinking about policy making and governing more broadly, governance is now established as a dominant paradigm in understanding national, subnational and global politics.The long-awaited second edition of this textbook takes into account the significant growth and proliferation of the field in recent years and offers a state of the art introduction to how governance is being theorised and studied today.Written by two leading political scientists, Governance, Politics and the State considers how societies are being, and can be, steered in a complex world where states must increasingly interact with and influence other actors and institutions to achieve results. It is a valuable book for all students of governance.New to this Edition:- A fully updated and revised set of chapters, including four new chapters – on multilevel governance, global governance, metagovernance and populism and governance. - A postscript on how to study governance

Having started out as a new and alternative way of thinking about policy making and governing more broadly, governance is now established as a dominant paradigm in understanding national, subnational and global politics.The long-awaited second edition of this textbook takes into account the significant growth and proliferation of the field in recent years and offers a state of the art introduction to how governance is being theorised and studied today.Written by two leading political scientists, Governance, Politics and the State considers how societies are being, and can be, steered in a complex world where states must increasingly interact with and influence other actors and institutions to achieve results. It is a valuable book for all students of governance.New to this Edition:- A fully updated and revised set of chapters, including four new chapters – on multilevel governance, global governance, metagovernance and populism and governance. - A postscript on how to study governance

Written by a prominent figure in the field, this book provides an accessible introduction to comparative methodology. Drawing on a wide range of approaches throughout, it is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand or research in this major area of political science.

Written by a prominent figure in the field, this book provides an accessible introduction to comparative methodology. Drawing on a wide range of approaches throughout, it is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand or research in this major area of political science.

This book discusses the trajectories of creating specialized autonomous units. An analysis of the mechanisms and measures taken for granting autonomy to specialized autonomous units and subsequently to coordinating them back is described. The book shows a range of patterns in the dynamics of specialization and coordination over 25 years.

This substantially revised 7th edition of a classic text includes a new chapter on globalization and regionalization and broader coverage of democratic politics, interests and movements; of the media; of social and cultural influences on political behaviour and of public management. It has been systematically revised and updated throughout in the accessible down-to-earth style that has made it such a popular student choice for over 30 years.

This substantially revised 7th edition of a classic text includes a new chapter on globalization and regionalization and broader coverage of democratic politics, interests and movements; of the media; of social and cultural influences on political behaviour and of public management. It has been systematically revised and updated throughout in the accessible down-to-earth style that has made it such a popular student choice for over 30 years.

The Classics of Comparative Policy Analysis is a four-volume set, compiled of articles, spanning twenty years, from the highly respected Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis. The first volume addresses questions about theory and methodology in the comparative study of public policy. The second explores different modes of governance and comparative studies of institutions. The third volume contains chapters that are regional in focus and conduct comparisons in specific policy sectors. The fourth and final volume looks at comparisons within disciplinary policy sectors, including healthcare, environment, education, social welfare, immigration, and science and technology. Further, in each volume there is a new chapter on comparisons between the disciplines of public policy, public administration, governance and political science by leading scholars.The Classics of Comparative Policy Analysis will be of great interest to scholars and practitioners of public policy, and social science more generally. The chapters were originally published as articles in the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis.

Adminstrative reform in most western democracies over the past couple of decades has been characterized by bringing in market-based concepts of public-service delivery. This book looks critically at administrative reform in a comparative perspective. The contributors - experts on administrative reform - assess its scope and objectives, and also the ways in which these reforms have impacted on the traditional roles of elective office and civil servants. This book will be an invaluable resource for students and academics in Politics and Public Administration, as well as for civil servants and experts on administrative reform.

The choices made by governments about how to reward their top employees reveal a great deal about their values and their assumptions about governing. This book examines rewards of high public office in seven Asian political systems, a particularly rich set of cases for exploring the causes and consequences of the rewards of high public office, having some of the most generous and most meagre reward packages in the world.There are a range of economic, political and cultural explanations for the rewards provided by governments. Likewise, these choices are assumed to have a number of consequences, including variations in the levels of corruption and economic success.Reward for High Public Office includes case studies focusing on Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and Singapore. It will interest students and researchers of politics, public administration and Asian studies.

Adminstrative reform in most western democracies over the past couple of decades has been characterized by bringing in market-based concepts of public-service delivery. This book looks critically at administrative reform in a comparative perspective. The contributors - experts on administrative reform - assess its scope and objectives, and also the ways in which these reforms have impacted on the traditional roles of elective office and civil servants. This book will be an invaluable resource for students and academics in Politics and Public Administration, as well as for civil servants and experts on administrative reform.

This book addresses an important issue and debate in public administration: the politicization of civil service systems and personnel. Using a comparative framework the authors address issues such as compensation, appointments made from outside the civil service system, anonymity, partisanship and systems used to handle appointees of prior administrations in the US, Canada, Germany, France, Britain, New Zealand, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Greece.

Written by B. Guy Peters, a leading authority in the field, this comprehensive exploration of the political and policy making roles of public bureaucracies is now available in a fully revised seventh edition, offering extensive, well-documented comparative analysis of the effects of politics on bureaucracy.Updates to this edition include: All new coverage of public administration in Latin America and Africa, with special attention paid to the impact of New Public Management and other ideas for reform; An examination of the European Union and its effects on public policy and public administration in member countries, as well as an exploration of the EU as a particular type of bureaucracy; A renewed emphasis on coordination and the role of central agencies; A thorough assessment of 'internationalization' of bureaucracies and concerns with the role of international pressures on domestic governments and organizations in the public sector; Coverage of the wide-ranging impacts of the 2008 economic slowdown on public bureaucracies and public policies, and the varied success of governmental responses to the crisis.Drawing on evidence from a wide variety of political systems, The Politics of Bureaucracy, Seventh Edition, continues to be essential reading for all students of government, policy analysis, politics, and international relations.

Written by B. Guy Peters, a leading authority in the field, this comprehensive exploration of the political and policy making roles of public bureaucracies is now available in a fully revised seventh edition, offering extensive, well-documented comparative analysis of the effects of politics on bureaucracy.Updates to this edition include: All new coverage of public administration in Latin America and Africa, with special attention paid to the impact of New Public Management and other ideas for reform; An examination of the European Union and its effects on public policy and public administration in member countries, as well as an exploration of the EU as a particular type of bureaucracy; A renewed emphasis on coordination and the role of central agencies; A thorough assessment of 'internationalization' of bureaucracies and concerns with the role of international pressures on domestic governments and organizations in the public sector; Coverage of the wide-ranging impacts of the 2008 economic slowdown on public bureaucracies and public policies, and the varied success of governmental responses to the crisis.Drawing on evidence from a wide variety of political systems, The Politics of Bureaucracy, Seventh Edition, continues to be essential reading for all students of government, policy analysis, politics, and international relations.

From the first, specialization and coordination have presented governments with a conundrum: specialized program might be best for delivering one service to the public, but combining such programs for all public services inevitably produces costly redundancies and inefficiencies. In this long-awaited book, Guy Peters brings his expertise and extensive experience to bear on the problem of administrative and policy coordination. Through theory and four real-world case studies, he explores how—and whether—coordination can transform ordinary, flawed patterns of governing into more effective and efficient performance by the public sector.This timely work arrives at a moment when coordination is proving especially challenging—as popular approaches to public single purpose programs, and as a push to involve the private sector in policy development and implementation has increased government segmentation. For insights into the workings—and limitations—of coordination, or horizontal management, Peters draws on extensive scholarship as well as his own consulting work with governments including Finland, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, and Mexico. He highlights practical successes, and failures, of horizontal management in case studies of Homeland Security in the US.; child protection in the UK.; policymaking in Finland; and the operations of the European Union. In the process, Peters evaluates a full tool chest of “instruments” that might be used to enhance coordination.Combining theory and practice, and considering a wide range of public policy challenges, this book clearly and cogently presents the most comprehensive, in-depth, and detailed discussion available of policy coordination in the public sector—at a time when its insights are most urgently needed.

'The new handbook by Peters and Pierre provides an invaluable addition to the literature. It offers new scholars and practitioners a means to navigate many of the complex theoretical and practical issues in contemporary policy analysis' - Mark Considine, University of Melbourne

The public policies of governments affect the lives and livelihoods of citizens every day in every country around the world. This handbook provides a comprehensive review and guide to the study, theory and practice of public policy today.

Section One, Making Policy, introduces the policy making process - the means by which public policies are formulated, adopted and implemented - and serves to review the many competing conceptualizations within the field.

Section Two, Substantive Policy Areas, focuses on a number of substantive policy areas to consider both diversity and commonalties across different sectoral policy areas.

Section Three, Evaluating Public Policy, addresses issues of policy analysis more directly and assesses successes and failures in public policy in an attempt to answer the question 'what is good policy?'.

The concluding chapter considers the different disciplinary contributions to the research and study of public policy both retrospectively and prospectively.

Drawing contributions from leading academics and policy analysts from around the world, the handbook illustrates the changing role of governments vis-à-vis the public and private sector and the different policy actors (national and international, governmental and non-governmental) involved in the policy making process.

It will be an essential companion for all advanced undergraduates, graduates, academics and practitioners across public policy and public administration, public management, government and political science.

Comparative Politics provides a comprehensive, theoretical, and methodological introduction to the field of comparative politics. In the sciences, theory is tested through direct experimentation. In politics, however, social scientists cannot simply manipulate an institution or law to see what might happen. Comparisons of different political contexts are thus central to political theory. Analyzing what happens when different countries modify constitutions or party systems provides useful information about the probable consequences of such changes among diverse political orders. The world of politics is full rich and complex factors which influence the way people vote, how policies are made, or how interest groups lobby. Written by a well-established author with an international reputation, Comparative Politics, surveys the best work in the field, examining the issues involved in an attempt to compare political systems and discussing how the methods and results of comparative politics can be improved. This valuable survey presents a wide array of case studies to illustrate how comparative analysts devise effective methods to construct meaningful theories about political systems.All major current approaches are covered, making this essential reading for students of politics and government.

Comparative Politics provides a comprehensive, theoretical, and methodological introduction to the field of comparative politics. In the sciences, theory is tested through direct experimentation. In politics, however, social scientists cannot simply manipulate an institution or law to see what might happen. Comparisons of different political contexts are thus central to political theory. Analyzing what happens when different countries modify constitutions or party systems provides useful information about the probable consequences of such changes among diverse political orders. The world of politics is full rich and complex factors which influence the way people vote, how policies are made, or how interest groups lobby. Written by a well-established author with an international reputation, Comparative Politics, surveys the best work in the field, examining the issues involved in an attempt to compare political systems and discussing how the methods and results of comparative politics can be improved. This valuable survey presents a wide array of case studies to illustrate how comparative analysts devise effective methods to construct meaningful theories about political systems.All major current approaches are covered, making this essential reading for students of politics and government.

Although merit system selection and management of public personnel is thought of as the standard for good governance, public employees frequently are appointed by political officials rather than being members of a career civil service. In fact, there has been an increase in the level of patronage appointments and politicization of public administration over the past several decades as political leaders attempt to impose their control over the public bureaucracy. Although widespread, patronage appointments in the public sector are particularly important in Latin America, where there is a tradition of extensive patronage.  The Politics of Patronage Appointments in Latin American Central Administrations seeks to understand the motivations of patrons when they make appointments, the roles appointees play, the skills required to play these roles, and what accounts for different modalities of patronage. It moves beyond the conventional condemnation of patronage to examine the multiple uses of political appointments, which can be crucial for obtaining the services of highly qualified individuals who otherwise might not be willing to work in the public sector.

At the turn of the millennium there has been a major growth of interest in institutional theory and institutional analysis in political science. This book identifies these approaches to institutions, and provides a frame of reference for the different theories. In the past decade there has been a major growth of interest in institutional theory and institutional analysis in political science. There are, however, a variety of different approaches to the new institutionalism' and these approaches rarely address the same issues. This book identifies the various approaches to institutions, and then provides a common frame of reference for the different theories. Peters argues that there are at least seven versions of institutionalism, beginning with the March and Olsen 'normative institutionalism', and including rational choice, historical and empirical approaches to institutions and their impact on public policy. For each of the versions of institutionalism them is a set of identical questions, including the definition of institutions, the way in which they are formed, how they change, how individuals and institutions interact, and the nature of a 'good institution'. Peters discusses whether them are really so many different approaches to institutionalism, or if there is sufficient agreement among them to argue that there is really one institutional theory.