Should We Defend the Administrative State?

Roberts, Alasdair

doi:10.1111/puar.13185

Cited by 14 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…First, the rise of contracting back-in may suggest the revival of the administrative state. There are debates about whether the government reforms from the 1980s led to a decrease in the role of the administrative state (Du Gay, 2005; Peters, 2017; Roberts, 2020). Our review of contracting back-in literature implies that the administrative state has not been out of fashion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What brings the state back in? An examination of contracting reversal

Hung

2022

IJPSM

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PurposeIn recent years, there is a steady increase of studies documenting the emergence of “contracting back-in” in many countries around the world, that is, governments bringing previously contracted services back in-house and once again relying on public employees to deliver these services. Through a survey of the academic discourse on contracting back-in, this manuscript describes the phenomenon of contracting back-in and discusses its implications for “bringing the state back in”.Design/methodology/approachThe manuscript conducts a systematic review of existing literature on contracting back-in with a focus on the scope and rationale of contracting back-in.FindingsThe existing literature demonstrates that contracting back-in is often as common as contracting out and can be found in a variety of countries and across different service areas. Existing studies also suggest that contracting back-in is driven by a mix of managerial, political, and environmental factors. The rise of contracting back-in could imply a revival of the administrative state in public governance and a more dynamic, potentially more complicated, system of public service delivery.Originality/valueThe manuscript contributes to the special issue on “bringing the state back in” through the lens of government contracting. It adds a number of implications to the discussion on the emergence of the “new” administrative state and strategies to reinvent it.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What brings the state back in? An examination of contracting reversal

Hung

2022

IJPSM

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“…No doubt, advocating for administrators to use their own bully pulpits is not an easy or novel prescription. Public managers have struggled for decades with how to discuss "the administrative state," public service, and organizational needs without conjuring images of governmental bloat, overreach, or incompetence (Roberts, 2020). Messaging strategies can produce differing impacts for engaged and disinterested citizens (Piotrowski et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussion and Conclusion: Speaking Truth To Power And Peoplementioning

confidence: 99%

The Erosion of Trust During a Global Pandemic and How Public Administrators Should Counter It

Deslatte

2020

The American Review of Public Administration

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This article argues that public administrators must advance a more equity-based assessment of vulnerabilities in American communities and more risk-based communication strategies. It provides an overview of partisan motivated reasoning, how this has influenced the response to the coronavirus pandemic. Experimental evidence then demonstrates how the framing of the pandemic can influence trust in various public messengers. The coronavirus pandemic is merely one of the many exigent threats humanity faces today. Public administrators are the planners, engineers, analysts, auditors, lawyers, and managers on the front lines of these existential crises. It is their job to sift through the information environment and—however boundedly—tackle problems. For the sake of the American democracy, public administrators need to regain the people’s trust. They could start by leveling with them about the challenges ahead.

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“…1. 1. The “administrative state” was often discussed during the Trump presidency. For a discussion of different meanings attached to the term, see (Roberts 2020a). …”

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confidence: 99%

Dysfunction by Design: Trumpism as Administrative Doctrine

Moynihan

Roberts

2021

Public Administration Review

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The administration of President Donald Trump caused widespread damage to administrative capabilities of the American federal government. Actions of the administration can be attributed to several causes, including character weaknesses of the President himself, the disadvantages of a political insurgent, and the challenges faced by every president in an era of divided government. The actions of the administration also reflect a governing strategy we categorize as Trumpism. Important elements of Trumpism will continue to have political force in the coming years. Attempts by the Biden administration to restore administrative capabilities will be constrained by these political realities. Evidence for Practice Trumpism was a governing strategy that was associated with a distinctive approach toward the reconstruction of federal administrative capacities. Trumpism revived and reinvented old strands in American political thought, such as populism, conspiracism, isolationism, and white nationalism. Trumpism as an administrative doctrine included delegitimization of the public service, a politicized and personalized management of the executive branch, a demand for loyalty over competence among public servants, a blurring of roles between Trump and the office of the President, and a disregard for traditional forms of accountability. As a means of managing public services, Trumpism could be judged a failure. Mismanagement of the COVID pandemic likely cost Trump his re‐election. However, his attacks on public service itself drew broad support. While Trump is a unique political figure, elements of Trumpism will remain influential in American politics. Attempts to reconstruct and expand federal administrative capacities will be constrained by this political reality.

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Should We Defend the Administrative State?

Cited by 14 publications

References 81 publications

What brings the state back in? An examination of contracting reversal

What brings the state back in? An examination of contracting reversal

The Erosion of Trust During a Global Pandemic and How Public Administrators Should Counter It

Dysfunction by Design: Trumpism as Administrative Doctrine

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