(previously Introduction to Public Administration)

This course introduces students to what public administration is as a field of study and why it is critical to the practice of democratic governance. This learning process occurs through the identification of intellectual, theoretical, institutional, and constitutional foundations distinctly found in the study and practice of public administration in the United States, as well as in other democratic contexts. It also explores the intersection between public administration theory and practice, examines many of the practical challenges currently affecting civil servants at all levels of government, and emphasizes ways in which the boundaries of the administrative state evolve. At the course's conclusion students are able to: (1) identify seminal public administration scholars and theories as well as many of the political, economic, and social issues affecting public administration in the 21st century, (2) apply theories of democratic governance to the practice of public management, and (3) have developed an understanding for how the rule of law legitimatizes public administration in theory and practice.