Postmodernism,Public Administration,and Political Association: Some Reflections on Fox and Miller

Abstract

This paper examines Charles Fox and Hugh Miller's Postmodern Public Administration. I argue here that Fox and Miller's argument for a public administration suitable for the postmodern era is surprisingly conventional in that, like orthodox public administration, it assumes a purposive view of political association. This paper argues further that such a view of political association may be problematic given the fragmented nature of postmodern political culture, which Fox and Miller identify, and that an alternative view of the state as a civil association may be more helpful. This being the case, I conclude that both writers and practitioners in public administration might pay more attention to American constitutionalism as an expression of the view of the state as a civil association.