With the fields of public administration and public management suffering a crisis of relevance, Alasdair Roberts offers a provocative assessment of their shortfalls. The two fields, he finds, no longer address urgent questions of governance in a turbulent and dangerous world. Strategies for Governing offers a new path forward for research, teaching, and practice. Leaders of states, Roberts writes, are constantly reinventing strategies for governing. Experts in public administration must give advice on the design as well as execution of strategies that effective, robust, and principled. Strategies for Governing challenges us to reinvigorate public administration and public management, preparing the fields for the challenges of the twenty-first century.

Alasdair Roberts is Director of the School of Public Policy and Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is author of America's First Great Depression and The End of Protest. Follow him on X @alasdairroberts.

Roberts succeeds in setting forth his charge for public administration to deemphasize the technical, efficiency-driven, myopic view of theory and practice and to urgently take on a new, bold view to meet the dangers facing us in this new century. This brief, clearly written book is a must read for academics and an essential addition to the required reading for public administration graduate students. Overall, it makes an important contribution to understanding the significance of a much-needed shift toward a macro-level analysis and the renewal of the state as we hurtle into the face of powerful change.

The argument's timeliness is uncanny, given the COVID19 pandemic, police violence, and racism plaguing the nation today... Roberts's book is a real bottomless well of research ideas ready to be pursued by scholars, especially junior ones. The book would also be useful for directors of graduate programs in PA interested in equipping students with the mindset and tools to address the big picture.

Roberts is masterful at distilling complex concepts into a digestible format, through which both new students and senior scholars can engage and argue. The book provides an opportunity to have a critical conversation about the boundaries of Public Administration.

Strategies for Governing has broad implications for research, teaching, and practice in a variety of disciplines and subfields. The book's insights provide readers with fresh perspectives on important research questions in public administration, public policy, American politics, international relations, and comparative politics. Perhaps most notably, Roberts encourages us to return to first principles and to address the 'what' and 'how' of government.

Roberts succinctly makes a timely case in favor of large concerns about governing... While dealing with currently urgent realities of the field, the analysis makes a contribution to last.

This is a thought-provoking book, one that deserves the attention of everyone in the field of public administration

Roberts has nudged us in the right direction to reawaken why public administration... is a field uniquely situated to link theory and practice at a macro-societal level... On that point alone, we all owe Roberts a great intellectual debt.

Overall, Strategies for Governing has broad implications for research, teaching, and practice in a variety of disciplines and subfields. The book's insights provide readers with fresh perspectives on important research questions in public administration, public policy, American politics, international relations, and comparative politics. Perhaps most notably, Roberts encourages us to return to first principles and to address the 'what' and 'how' of government.

Richard Callahan, University of San Fransisco:

Strategies for Governing engages the readers in the big questions of the practice and study of public administration, breaking new ground in connecting strategy with governance. Roberts crafts a compelling argument for connecting public administration to its founding values and questions as a way of moving forward in this century

Evert Lindquist, University of Victoria:

Strategies for Governing is a remarkable book that calls for a reinvigoration of public administration research and debate about the overall priorities and structure of our public administration systems. Roberts asks us to think about designing macro governing strategies for the grand challenges we will face over the next decade and beyond.

Mary E. Guy, University of Colorado—Denver, author of Essentials of Public Service:

Just in time, Alasdair Roberts makes a provocative argument urging public administration to return to basics! Strategies for Governing rediscovers the field's roots and describes a conceptual and practical route back to relevance in public life.

Donald F. Kettl, University of Texas at Austin, author of The Politics of the Administrative Process, 7th Edition:

Alasdair Roberts is one of the most thoughtful scholars working in public administration today, and Strategies for Governing is an important and challenging book. It will be an instant classic—a must-read for established researchers and budding scholars.