Democracy and Administration

A very sophisticated piece of work. Cook provides a fresh look at Wilson's ideas and reinforces the notion that the history of ideas does matter. He demonstrates a deep understanding of Wilson's ideas and is adept at applying such ideas to public management theory. An original and substantial contribution to the fields of public management, public administration, and public policy. -- Larry D. Terry, author of Leadership of Public Bureaucracies and Administrative Interpretation of Law Woodrow Wilson brought well-considered theories about political leadership in American government to the presidency. He was an unusual president in this respect. Brian Cook has written an incisive analysis of Wilson's theories and practice in a way that not only tells us much about Wilson but also illuminates perennial issues of presidential leadership. -- Erwin C. Hargrove, Vanderbilt University Here, Cook demonstrates Wilson's significance to the most current issues in the theory and practice of public administration, and recently developing topics such as 'new public management' and 'governance.' He contends that, while some authors have described recent developments as reactions against Wilson's outdated ideas, Wilson actually posed more fundamental questions that these authors need more carefully to address. A genuinely significant contribution and important reading for all scholars in public administration and related fields and for thoughtful practitioners. -- Hal G. Rainey, Alumni Foundation Distinguished Professor, School of Public and International Affairs, University of Georgia

Democracy and Administration calls on scholars and practitioners to take Wilson's institutional design and regime-level orientation into account as part of the ambitious enterprise to develop a new science of democratic governance.Though his term in the White House ended nearly a century ago, Woodrow Wilson anticipated the need for new ideas to address the effects of modern economic and social forces on the United States, including increased involvement in international affairs. Democracy and Administration synthesizes the former world leader's thought on government administration, laying out Wilson's concepts of how best to manage government bureaucracies and balance policy leadership with popular rule. Linking the full gamut of Wilson's ideas and actions covering nearly four decades, Brian J. Cook finds success, folly, and fresh thinking with relevance in the twenty-first century. Building on his interpretive synthesis, Cook links Wilson's tenets to current efforts to improve public management, showing how some of his most prominent ideas and initiatives presaged major developments in theory and practice. Democracy and Administration calls on scholars and practitioners to take Wilson's institutional design and regime-level orientation into account as part of the ambitious enterprise to develop a new science of democratic governance.