Citizen, Customer, Partner: Engaging the Public in Public Management

Engaging the Public in Public Management

By John Clayton Thomas | Publisher: Taylor and Francis

About the book

For almost a half a century, scholars and practitioners have debated what the connections should be between public administration and the public. Does the public serve principally as citizen-owners, those to whom administrators are responsible? Are members of the public more appropriately viewed as the customers of government? Or, in an increasingly networked world, do they serve more as the partners of public administrators in the production of public services?

This book starts from the premise that the public comes to government not principally in one role but in all three roles, as citizens and customers and partners.  The purpose of the book is to address the dual challenge that reality implies:  (1) to help public administrators and other public officials to understand the complex nature of the public they face, and (2) to provide recommendations for how public administrators can most effectively interact with the public in the different roles. Using this comprehensive perspective, Citizen, Customer, Partner helps students, practitioners, and scholars understand when and how the public should be integrated into the practice of public administration.

Most chapters in Citizen, Customer, Partner include multiple boxed cases that illustrate the chapter’s content with real-world examples. The book concludes with an extremely useful Appendix that collects and summarizes the 40 Design Principles – specific advice for public organizations on working with the public as customers, partners, and citizens.

Editions of Citizen, Customer, Partner: Engaging the Public in Public Management

EBook
ISBN 9781317478577
PDF
ISBN 9781317478584

Read an Excerpt

For almost a half a century, scholars and practitioners have debated what the connections should be between public administration and the public. Does the public serve principally as citizen-owners, those to whom administrators are responsible? Are members of the public more appropriately viewed as the customers of government? Or, in an increasingly networked world, do they serve more as the partners of public administrators in the production of public services?

This book starts from the premise that the public comes to government not principally in one role but in all three roles, as citizens and customers and partners.  The purpose of the book is to address the dual challenge that reality implies:  (1) to help public administrators and other public officials to understand the complex nature of the public they face, and (2) to provide recommendations for how public administrators can most effectively interact with the public in the different roles. Using this comprehensive perspective, Citizen, Customer, Partner helps students, practitioners, and scholars understand when and how the public should be integrated into the practice of public administration.

Most chapters in Citizen, Customer, Partner include multiple boxed cases that illustrate the chapter’s content with real-world examples. The book concludes with an extremely useful Appendix that collects and summarizes the 40 Design Principles – specific advice for public organizations on working with the public as customers, partners, and citizens.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Citizen, Customer, Partner: Engaging the Public in Public Management about?

For almost a half a century, scholars and practitioners have debated what the connections should be between public administration and the public. Does the public serve principally as citizen-owners, those to whom administrators are responsible? Are members of the public more appropriately viewed as the customers of government? Or, in an increasingly networked world, do they serve more as the partners of public administrators in the production of public services?

This book starts from the premise that the public comes to government not principally in one role but in all three roles, as citizens and customers and partners.  The purpose of the book is to address the dual challenge that reality implies:  (1) to help public administrators and other public officials to understand the complex nature of the public they face, and (2) to provide recommendations for how public administrators can most effectively interact with the public in the different roles. Using this comprehensive perspective, Citizen, Customer, Partner helps students, practitioners, and scholars understand when and how the public should be integrated into the practice of public administration.

Most chapters in Citizen, Customer, Partner include multiple boxed cases that illustrate the chapter’s content with real-world examples. The book concludes with an extremely useful Appendix that collects and summarizes the 40 Design Principles – specific advice for public organizations on working with the public as customers, partners, and citizens.

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Citizen, Customer, Partner: Engaging the Public in Public Management?

Society and Social Sciences > Politics and government

Where can I read a sample of Citizen, Customer, Partner: Engaging the Public in Public Management?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781317478577

Who is/are the Author/s of the book Citizen, Customer, Partner: Engaging the Public in Public Management?

John Clayton Thomas

Who is the Publisher of the book Citizen, Customer, Partner: Engaging the Public in Public Management?

Taylor and Francis

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

Citizen, Customer, Partner: Engaging the Public in Public Management is available as ebook(ISBN 9781317478577) and pdf(ISBN 9781317478584)