AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR Public Administration

The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) was founded in December 1939. This did not occur ex nihilo. Rather, it was the desired end-result of an elaborate and detailed collusion by some early public administration professionals including Louis Brownlow, Luther Gulick, and William Mosher. With patience and careful planning beginning in 1937, they designed a scenario that would, as the events they were catalyzing unfolded, undermine the Governmental Research Association (GRA) and provide justification for the new organization. This pre-birth campaign is often skipped over lightly in histories of ASPA. In particular, their collusion caused some serious collateral damage, destroying the academic career of University of Chicago doctoral candidate Norman Gill. This revisionist history explores the detailed maneuverings of the leaders of the nascent ASPA against GRA and how they, seemingly obliviously, wrecked the intended professional path of an innocent researcher who worked for them.

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Public Administration at the Movies

Public Voices ◽

10.22140/pv.310 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 3 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lyn Holley ◽

Rebecca K Lutte

Keyword(s):

Public Administration ◽

Public Perception ◽

Public Information ◽

Public Employees ◽

Paper Briefly ◽

Negative Image ◽

The Public ◽

Popular Films ◽

Positive Message ◽

American Society

This paper briefly summarizes evidence for the influence of popular films on public perception of government and on public policy. Two films examined through the lens of public administration, and the lessons they teach about public administration, are exposed. One film, Ghostbusters conveys a strongly negative image, and the other, A Thousand Heroes a strongly positive message. Only Ghostbusters was and remains popular and profitable. Public information efforts by government and the public administration community have been limited or reactive. The authors argue for the increased support for public information initiatives such as those of the Public Employees Roundtable (PER) and the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA).

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Servant Leaders in Public Service: Christian Spirituality in Practice

Public Voices ◽

10.22140/pv.283 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (1-2) ◽

pp. 29

Author(s):

Willa Bruce

Keyword(s):

Servant Leadership ◽

Public Administration ◽

Public Service ◽

Christian Spirituality ◽

Servant Leaders ◽

Public Servants ◽

American Society

Relying on a survey of members of the American Society for Public Administration, servant leadership is examined through the lens of Christian spirituality. Findings indicate that citizens can have confidence in the dedication and committment of public servants.

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