The American Political Economy and Its Implications for Local Public Administration

This chapter explores the uniqueness of the American political economy and its implication for the role of public administration. It reviews the development of the political economy over the course of American history. Two important lessons emerge from a review of this history. First, the wellbeing of the American political economy depends on the leadership of administrators to provide the necessary infrastructure for the successful operation of all sectors of the economy. Second, public administrators need to acquire new leadership skills that enable them to enlist the support of partners in the political economy to co-produce the common good—private businesses, nonprofit organizations, neighboring political jurisdictions, and groups in civil society.