Includes bibliographical references (p. 391-411) and index.

The challenges and opportunities of public service -- Administrative discretion: issues and conflicts -- Democracy and administration -- The troubled history of American public administration -- Administrative ethics and responsibility -- Organization structure and behavior -- A political history of public personnel administration -- Contemporary human resources management -- Public revenue and financial management -- Budget formation and resource allocation -- Public service leadership in a shared-power world -- The role of public administration in public policy and analysis -- Policy implementation and administrative law -- The future of American public administration. "Foundations of Public Service is designed to serve as a basic text for an introductory course in public administration. It is written with the needs of both the experienced practitioner and the aspiring entry-level public servant in mind. Plentiful case examples bridge the context-rich environment of practitioners with the basic principles of public administration sought by pre-service students." "The book's coverage of basic management practices is grounded in the political and ethical tensions inherent in the American constitutional form of governance. This reflects the authors' belief that public administration operates as an integral part of a country's political traditions and thereby helps define or "constitute" the political culture."--BOOK JACKET.