Trends in the American Study of Public Administration: What Could They Mean for Korean Public Administration?

Abstract

The study of public administration in the United States is torn between a desire to be scientific and universal without acknowledging the uniqueness of political-administrative systems around the world on the one hand and a need to provide understanding and adequate descriptions of reality on the other hand. In this article features of American society and government are described and related to trends in the study of public administration in the United States. It is clear that the universal challenges of contemporary government can only be met when addressed in the national context. The American and Korean study of public administration have much to learn from each other.