PAR Preview ▪ Issue 4 ▪ February 2012
PAR Preview is a monthly newsletter that calls attention to forthcoming articles in PAR.
PAR Preview provides brief summaries of content now available digitally in Early View,
Wiley's online publication system.
Perspective
International humanitarian assistance and U.S. foreign policy
Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration Eric P. Schwartz (University of Minnesota) highlights the role of the U.S. in international humanitarian assistance and the requisites for its effective implementation. Responsible humanitarian action requires humanitarians in government be advocates of human rights and be part of the broader decision making on political and security issues. Furthermore, they must seek cooperation with the international humanitarian organizations, and encourage support and participation from nontraditional donors in other parts of the globe. Schwartz emphasizes the importance of our collective capacity to improve human conditions through effective humanitarian response. Click here to read this article
Restoring government service as a valued and honored profession
Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James B. Steinberg (Syracuse University) reflects on the future of government service and proposes how and why government should reinstate public service as a valued and honored profession. Despite sustained commitment among young people to the values of citizenship and public service, there is the increasing disjuncture between the desire for public service and the eagerness to serve in government. Government agencies can enhance their attractiveness to the talented by easing barriers to entry and improving career paths. Steinberg also suggests that these efforts should be preceded by a constructive debate about the size and scope of government and the division of responsibility across sectors. Click here to read this article
Research Article
Measuring new public management and public governance in political debate
Giovanni Fattore (Bocconi University), Hans F. W. Dubois (European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions), and Antonio Lapenta (Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro) explore the relevance of new public management (NPM) and public governance (PG) in political communication through content analysis of electoral programs in Italian regional elections. Developing measures that capture NPM and PG, the authors find that the ideological background of the candidates is an important predictor of preference for NPM or PG. Fattore, Dubois, and Lapenta argue that it is more appropriate to approach NPM and PG as sets of ideas rather than paradigms. Click here to read this article
Collaborative partnerships and crime in disorganized communities
Cheon Geun Choi (Korean National Police Agency) and Sang Ok Choi (Korea University) examine how collaborative partnerships between government and other parties contribute to crime prevention in disorganized communities. An analysis of data from 404 U.S. cities reveals that police departments with many collaborative partnerships are able to reduce crime rates by promoting informal social control and capitalizing on community resources with the help of other groups. The findings also indicate that collaborative partnerships have a buffering effect in disorganized communities; that is, the impacts of community disorganization on crime rates are attenuated by collaborative partnerships. Click here to read this article
Commentary on this article by John R. Firman (International Association of Chiefs of Police) is available in Early View. Click here to read this commentary
Self-provision of public services: Its evolution and impact
Shlomo Mizrahi (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) develops a theoretical framework for explaining the conditions for the evolution and persistence of citizen self-provision mechanisms. The author suggests that citizens are motivated to choose self-provision strategies if they are dissatisfied with government services and perceive that influence options are ineffective. Furthermore, they are often inclined to improve their outcomes through extralegal or illegal self-provision. Self-provision may encourage citizen involvement in public life. Mizrahi argues, however, self-provision strategies have significant disadvantages in terms of distributive outcomes and internalization of nondemocratic norms. Click here to read this article
Commentary on this article by Yaacov Lifshitz (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) is available in Early View. Click here to read this commentary
Book Reviews
Democracy and social change in global society
David Mandiyanike (University of Botswana) reviews Democracy Works: Joining Theory and Action to Foster Global Change edited by Torry D. Dickinson, Terrie A. Becerra, and Summer B. C. Lewis (2008). With essays written by multicultural, transnational intellectual activists involved in democratic projects, this book helps understand how democratic social groups have joined theory and action to bring about global change. Mandiyanike emphasizes that the book offers a rich tapestry to the global citizenry's democratic engagement in change. Click here to read this book review
Framing the future of emerging technologies
Evan S. Michelson (New York University) reviews The Techno-Human Condition by Braden R. Allenby and Daniel Sarewitz (2011). In the book, the authors establish a provocative framework of how new technologies come to have wide-ranging, long-term societal implications, and provide concrete suggestions for how to prepare for the projected onslaught of new technologies. The authors highlight, writes Michelson, the need to create a capacity for anticipatory governance of emerging technologies. Click here to read this book review
Public Administration Review is published by Wiley on behalf of the
American Society for Public Administration.
Editor-in-Chief: James L. Perry ▪ Managing Editor: Michael McGuire
Indiana University, School of Public and Environmental Affairs
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