Teaching Public Policy: Theory, Research, and Practice - Contributions in Political Science, No. 268

Bergerson, Peter, ed.

ISBN 10: 0313276366 / ISBN 13: 9780313276361

Published by Greenwood Press, NY, 1991

About this Item

Contributions in Political Science, No. 268. xiv + 225pp; interior clean & tight; 9.5" tall; blue cover with gilt lettering on front & spine.

Seller Inventory # 84179

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Teaching Public Policy: Theory, Research, and Practice - Contributions in Political Science, No. 268
• Publisher: Greenwood Press, NY
• Publication Date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0313276366
• ISBN 13: 9780313276361
• Binding: Hard Cover
• Edition: 1st edition.
• Condition: fine
• Book Type: Hardcover

About this title

Synopsis

The curriculum of public policy education is currently undergoing an introspective examination, as academics and practitioners develop programs to reflect the dramatic theoretical, informational, technological, and managerial changes of the 1980s. This book is a response to some of these creative and innovative instructional techniques. The text covers policy theory research and a number of substantive topics, including financial management, budgeting, ethics, computers, and experiential learning.

The essays are grouped in seven separate areas, each emphasizing successful teaching strategies. Organizational theory is the first area to be treated, with discussions of public administration education and democratic values; a reflection-in-action model; and the role of ethics in public policy education. Research skills are covered through surveys of quantitative analysis skills of MPA students and bridging the gap between methods courses and real research studies. Surveys of information resource management and an active-reactive model of policy evaluation comprise the section on program evaluation and management, while financial core curriculum courses are considered in chapters on in-class budget simulations and fiscal management in the public sector. A computers and communications section focuses on computer literacy and the skills an MPA program should teach, and two contributions analyze comparative public administration. Finally, a concluding section explores the contemporary issues of the use of practitioners in the classroom, experiential learning, and the political science perspective on public administration. This volume will be a useful resource for courses in public administration, public policy, and political science, as well as a welcome addition to public and academic libraries.

About the Author

PETER J. BERGERSON is Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Political Science at Southeast Missouri State University. His articles have appeared in a number of academic journals, and he is the author of the book Ethics and Public Policy: An Annotated Bibliography.