Kirjahaku

Public policy is an expression that has come to dominate the way people talk about doing government and public administration and is seen as a central component of the modern democratic order. Adopting an innovative public action languages approach, Beyond Public Policy shows how policy is only one of many powerful social languages (budgeting, planning, rights, directives and protests, amongst others) used to make things happen in the ever-changing arena of public affairs; where they may cooperate, compete, or just go their own way. Opening up discussions on the varied ways that people talk about and act in relation to the public good, this is a fascinating insight into the multiplicity of social languages used to negotiate possibilities in public affairs. Social languages are examined as being performative parts of everyday life, and examples from different places and times are used to illustrate the importance of these language forms. Political science, public administration, social psychology and sociology scholars will find this book a vital reference with its advanced approach to public affairs. Professionals in NGOs, public service and government, as well as activists will also greatly benefit from the practical advice and real-life case studies the book offers.

Governance in the Americas, a multidisciplinary volume, offers important new insights about decentralization, federalism, and democratic change in the three largest federal nations in the Americas: Brazil, Mexico, and the United States. Originating in a major research project conducted by teams in each of the three countries, this study contributes significantly to our understanding of how representative and participatory democracy is being constructed at state and local levels in the recently emerged democracies of Brazil and Mexico, and is being recast and sustained in the United States. The contributors evaluate the performance of subnational governments, as these societies become more genuinely decentralized, and as new actors and managerial routines create and implement public policy. The authors challenge the criticism of "exceptionalism" in the United States, seeking instead to understand the points of convergence and divergence among the three countries as each seeks to improve the effectiveness and public accountability of its policy-making processes. Collaborators include Marta Ferreira Santos Farah, Lawrence S. Graham, Pedro Jacobi, and Allison M. Rowland.