Reinventing comparative public administration

The study of administration in other countries is often labelled comparative public administration and, since the Second World War, has developed a vast literature covering many world areas and utilizing various methods. Along with its more practical, more prescriptive counterpart, development administration, it has frequently been analysed and critiqued as a study and as a guide to development assistance. Suggests a new role for comparative development administration as it faces the important challenge of addressing administrative requirements not only in the Third World but also in the former Second World (former Soviet Union and Central Eastern Europe). The suggestion here is that iconoclastic models and non-Western approaches are worthy of consideration, even though they may range from the unpleasant to the bizarre. Explores the Asian Communist administration - as found in China - and the Islamic revivalist administration - as found in Iran.