The new scholarship on pragmatism and public administration bears properties reminis cent of speculative philosophy. It proposes that pragmatism and public administration have historically existed in parallel universes. The articles written by Keith F. Snider and Karen G. Evans outline how pragmatism and public administration developed along parallel courses with minimal interchange between these two bodies of thought. However, they differ on whether these two bodies of thought should be fused. Evans argues for an immediate merger whereas Snider is more cautious. The issue of fusion is a serious issue for the field and deserves careful consideration.
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References
1.
Evans, K. G. (2000). Reclaiming John Dewey: Democracy, inquiry, pragmatism, and public management. Administration & Society, 32, 308-328.
2.
Snider, K. F. (2000). Expertise or experimenting? Pragmatism and American public administration: 1920-1950. Administration & Society, 32, 329-354.
3.
Stever, J. A. (2000). The path to organizational skepticism. Burke, VA: Chatelaine Press.
