The second of two volumes to examine how European Union member states coordinate their European policies, this book investigates the structures, institutions, and processes implemented by national governments in Brussels. It offers a detailed examination of the organization, operation, and performance of permanent representations, and their role in national systems of EU policy making, and looks at the extent to which interaction within a common institutional environment has brought about convergence between national arrangements.

Speaking truth to power demands diplomatic skills. This book looks at the way advice, which is needed by all executives, is provided to the summit of government in twelve advanced industrialized countries (Australia, Belgium, Britain, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden, and the US). It examines the increasing pressures for centralization as core executives confront the differentiation and pluralization of government and the interplay of constitutional, political, and institutional factors.

This substantially revised 7th edition of a classic text includes a new chapter on globalization and regionalization and broader coverage of democratic politics, interests and movements; of the media; of social and cultural influences on political behaviour and of public management. It has been systematically revised and updated throughout in the accessible down-to-earth style that has made it such a popular student choice for over 30 years.

Adminstrative reform in most western democracies since about 1980 has been characterized by bringing in market-based concepts of public-service delivery. This book looks critically at administrative reform in a comparative perspective. The contributors - experts on administrative reform - assess its scope and objectives, and also the ways in which these reforms have impacted on the traditional roles of elective office and civil servants. This book will be an invaluable resource for students and academics in Politics and Public Administration, as well as for civil servants and experts on...

Administrative reform in most western democracies over the years has been characterized by bringing in market-based concepts of public-service delivery. This book looks at administrative reform in a comparative perspective. It assesses its scope and objectives, and the impact of reforms, on traditional roles of elective office and civil servants.

One of the persistent claims made about the public sector over the past several decades has been that the public service has become more politicized. Addressing this important area of debate within public administration, this book discusses conceptions and measurements of politicization, as well as some of its causes and consequences. Using a comparative framework, the authors collected here confront the issue of politicization, identifying the nature and extent of political involvement and assessing the real impact of any changes on the legitimacy and effectiveness of the political system....

Global politics have been transformed by revolution and reformation in the last two decades. As political systems crashed or teetered precariously and entire governments and national boundaries dissolved, even the relatively stable industrialized democracies have been forced to reorganize their governments in the face of the increasing discontent of their citizens. Peters provides a concise and insightful guide to the fundamental ideas underlying these reform movements and their future impact on governance.

This revised edition includes three new chapters that add valuable analysis and...

"The new handbook by Peters and Pierre provides an invaluable addition to the literature. It offers new scholars and practitioners a means to navigate many of the complex theoretical and practical issues in contemporary policy analysis"
- Mark Considine, University of Melbourne

The public policies of governments affect the lives and livelihoods of citizens every day in every country around the world. This Handbook provides a comprehensive review and guide to the study, theory and practice of public policy today.

• Section One, Making Policy, introduces...

Fiscal cutbacks, the public's declining confidence in government, and new ideologies are forcing the public sector in industrialized democracies to undertake major reforms. In these essays contributing authors examine changes to the political and economic envirnoment and the ways in which governments have responded. The essays attempt to explain what is happening in government in the late 20th century and suggest changes that can be expected in the future.

Distinguished scholars from six countries investigate the effects of reforms in a number of areas, including budgeting, personnel management, and accountability. While reforms have been beneficial in some of these areas, success has been far from universal. By comparing and contrasting measures in Canada, the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, contributors isolate and evaluate factors - such as individual political leaders and the complexity of government - that influence the success or failure of reforms. Contents: Introduction - B. Guy Peters (Pittsburgh) and Donald...