Ongoing transformations of the political organization of Europe, where both the nation-state and the European Union are challenged, make it possible to explore phenomena that are difficult to see in stable periods. An upsurge in accountability-demands, where political leaders are required to explain and justify what they are doing, is one such phenomenon. Mainstream approaches to democratic accountability, assuming settled principal-agent relations may give insight into the routines of ins...

Originally published in 1993. Organizations have become larger, more professionalized, more differentiated, and wealthier. At the same time, they are often subject to large-scale changes: either as a result of mergers and acquisitions, or simply in response to changed market conditions or new technologies. In this climate the people who run organizations frequently find themselves acting as "reformers". The central concern of this study is to analyze the reforming process within organizati...

The authors propose a new theory of political behavior that re-invigorates the role of institutions—from laws and bureaucracy to rituals and symbols—as essential to understanding the modern political and economic systems that guide contemporary life.

An exploration of Arctic tourism, focusing on tourist experiences and industry provision of those experiences; this is the first compilation to concentrate on the fundamental essence of the Arctic as being a geographical periphery, but also an experiential core that offers peak tourism experiences. Part 1 investigates the depth and dimensions of tourist experiences in the Arctic. Chapters examine the essence of diverse peak experiences and delve into the factors that give rise to these exp...

This book takes up the contentious issue of artificial intelligence (AI), and more specifically the evolving nature of AI-mindedness, as a legal entity in society. With the increasing potential of AI suggested by the recent surge in creative and administrative tools and large language models, there is a growing concern about the ethical and legal implications of incorporating AI into society. As these systems become even more powerful and their ability to mimic human output grows, the ques...

Histories of Knowledge in Postwar Scandinavia uses case studies to explore how knowledge circulated in the different public arenas that shaped politics, economics and cultural life in and across postwar Scandinavia, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s.This book focuses on a period when the term "knowledge society" was coined and rapidly found traction. In Scandinavia, society’s relationship to rational forms of knowledge became vital to the self-understanding and political...

The fully revised and updated new edition of this textbook continues to provide the most accessible overview of the main approaches in the study of public policy. It seeks to review the most common and widely used frameworks in the study of policy analysis:institutionsgroups and networkssociety and the economyindividual interestsideas.The book explains each one, offers constructive criticisms and explores their ...

Media matters. From encouraging charitable donations and delivering public health messages to promoting democratic participation and state accountability, the media can play a crucial role in development. Yet the influence of the media is not always welcome. It can also be used as a mechanism of surveillance and control or to disseminate hate speech and propaganda.How then should we respond to the growing importance of the media - including journalism, radio, television, community ...

The Public Administration Theory Primer explores how the science and art of public administration is definable, describable, replicable, and cumulative. The authors survey a broad range of theories and analytical approaches—from public institutional theory to theories of governance—and consider which are the most promising, influential, and important for the field. This book paints a full picture of how these theories contribute to, and explain, what we know about public administr...

The importance of polling public opinion is widely recognized today. Indeed, it is sometimes argued that in mass societies, polls have also become an important medium for communicating ideas and beliefs, especially since many people have become less involved in community organizations and interest groups that formerly connected them to events and issues. Polling and Public Opinion examines the impact that polls have on the thoughts and behaviour of the public.Peter M. Butl...

Globalisation, Policy and Comparative Research, which is the fifth volume in the 12-volume book series Globalisation, Comparative Education and Policy Research, presents scholarly research on major discourses in comparative education research. It provides an easily accessible, practical yet scholarly source of information about the international concern in the field of globalisation, and comparative education. Above all, the book offers the latest findings to the critical issues concerning...

This comprehensive textbook explores the policy process from a multitude of perspectives, including rationalism, culturalism, institutionalism and from a political point of view. This allows students to discover key concepts from the policy science literature and gain a deeper understanding of how public policy is discussed academically and shaped empirically.Public Policy in Action gives a detailed breakdown of all stages of the policy process by discussing the emergence ...