Table of Contents

Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Thinking about Canadian Society and Government 2. Competing Ideologies of Government and Public Service 3. Institutions of Governance: The Environment of Public Sector Management 4. Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and Cabinet Decision-Making Systems 5. Theory of Organizational Design and Management Decision-Making 6. Public Sector Financial Management 7. Dealing with Deficits and Managing Surpluses 8. Public Sector Human Resources Management 9. The Representative and Equitable Public Service 10. Contemporary Issues in Management Reform 11. Public Sector Accountability: Responsibility, Responsiveness, and Ethics 12. Public Sector Management: The Challenges of Leadership Index "

Promotional Information

Thinking Government is a comprehensive primer that systematically puts the principles and practice of Canadian public administration in political, historical, and philosophical context. It is nicely presented, combining accessible expositions of classic and contemporary perspectives on public administration with a range of government and media exhibits to illustrate points or provoke debate. Along with its website, glossaries, and print and URL bibliographies, Thinking Government offers a 'one-stop' resource, perfect for courses on Canadian public administration and governance. -- Evert A. Lindquist, Director, School of Public Administration, University of Victoria David Johnson provides a fresh new approach to presenting public administration. In an increasingly crowded field, Johnson's textbook stands out for its thought-provoking approach to our usual assumptions about public administration and its relation to broader questions about our society. Johnson looks at contemporary developments in public management and provides both the historical and political context that gives these developments real meaning. This makes the text both more relevant to students and useful for instructors. Johnson has clearly set the new standard in terms of his presentation of this material and his analysis of these complex issues. -- Ken Rasmussen, Director, Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Regina

About the Author

David Johnson is Professor of Political Science at Cape Breton University in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Reviews

"Thinking Government offers a 'one-stop' resource, perfect for courses on Canadian public administration and governance." - Evert A. Lindquist, University of Victoria