Università Roma Tre

The course presents two parts.
The first part deals with the introduction of some key concepts to understand administrative behavior (administrative function, structure, process, decision, politics and policy, culture, inter-organizational field). The course investigates public administrations using classifications and typologies. Knowledge coming from relevant case studies and comparative research on administrations. This part deals with some key issues of the administrative science, such as the relationship between political and administrative roles, administrative culture, bureaucratic management and strategic management, control and evaluation. From a political perspective, the analysis of administration is the exam of the relationship between political power and administration. Another important issue is the relationship between politics and the outputs of administrative behavior: the course analyses the role that administrative institutions play in the relationship between politics, interest groups, citizens, and the outputs of policy making.
The second part examines the Italian administrative system and its most recent transformations.
In short, the course examines administration as:
1. institution;
2. organization;
3. arena of power (relations between politics and administration);
4. culture;
5. actor involved in the policy making;
6. actor targeted by administrative reform programs.

Texts for the exam (a.y. 2023-2024):

First part (Handbook)

- Lippi A., Modelli di amministrazioni pubbliche, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2022.

Second part (Analysis of Italian reforms)

1. Baldi B. & Chiarini R., Teoria dell’organizzazione e pubbliche amministrazioni. Le riforme del rapporto fra politica e amministrazione, “Quaderni di Scienza Politica”, XXIX, 3, 2022, pp. 331-360.

2. Di Mascio F. & Natalini A., Pubbliche amministrazioni. Tradizioni, paradigmi e percorsi di ricerca, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2022: chapter 5 (La trasformazione digitale delle pubbliche amministrazioni), pp. 169-214.

3. Grilli di Cortona P., Lanza O., Pisciotta B. e Germano L., Capire la politica, Utet, 2020: chapter 11 (Politiche pubbliche e processo decisionale), pp. 331-357.

4. Vecchi G., Le politiche amministrative: continuità e discontinuità nei processi di riforma, in G. Capano e A. Natalini (ed), Le politiche pubbliche in Italia, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2020, pp. 27-41.