Public Power & Public Administration
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Yellowed
Markings: Previous owner
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
In the corridors of government where policy is shaped and bureaucratic authority is exercised, few questions are more urgent than who truly holds power — and to what ends. Public Power & Public Administration by Peter Wilenski presents a rigorous and penetrating examination of the structures, dynamics, and political forces that govern public administration in Australia, arguing that the organisation of the state is never neutral but is instead a deeply contested terrain shaped by competing interests, ideologies, and values. Wilenski draws on his formidable experience as both a senior public servant and an academic reformer to dissect how administrative institutions can entrench or challenge existing power relations, offering a framework for understanding reform that is both theoretically grounded and practically informed. A landmark contribution to Australian political thought, this work situates public administration within broader debates about democracy, equity, and social justice, making a compelling case that genuine reform requires not just structural change but a transformation in the values that animate public institutions. Wilenski's style is incisive and authoritative — analytical without being inaccessible — and his arguments retain a striking relevance for anyone grappling with questions of governance, accountability, and the proper role of the state. For students, scholars, and practitioners of public policy alike, this volume poses a challenge that lingers long after the final page: can the machinery of government ever truly serve the public good?
Author: Peter Wilenski
Format: Paperback
Published: 1986, Hale & Iremonger
Genre: Politics & law
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Yellowed
Markings: Previous owner
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
In the corridors of government where policy is shaped and bureaucratic authority is exercised, few questions are more urgent than who truly holds power — and to what ends. Public Power & Public Administration by Peter Wilenski presents a rigorous and penetrating examination of the structures, dynamics, and political forces that govern public administration in Australia, arguing that the organisation of the state is never neutral but is instead a deeply contested terrain shaped by competing interests, ideologies, and values. Wilenski draws on his formidable experience as both a senior public servant and an academic reformer to dissect how administrative institutions can entrench or challenge existing power relations, offering a framework for understanding reform that is both theoretically grounded and practically informed. A landmark contribution to Australian political thought, this work situates public administration within broader debates about democracy, equity, and social justice, making a compelling case that genuine reform requires not just structural change but a transformation in the values that animate public institutions. Wilenski's style is incisive and authoritative — analytical without being inaccessible — and his arguments retain a striking relevance for anyone grappling with questions of governance, accountability, and the proper role of the state. For students, scholars, and practitioners of public policy alike, this volume poses a challenge that lingers long after the final page: can the machinery of government ever truly serve the public good?