Amanda Rutherford is an Assistant Professor in the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, USA. Her research focuses on organizational accountability and performance, inequality between majority and minority groups, and executive careers and decision-making processes and is often situated in the context of U.S. education. Her work has appeared in leading journals in the fields of political science, public administration, and higher education. In her spare time, Amanda swaps stories with her husband, Jeff (an administrator), plays in the part with her daughter, Kendall, and generally tries to keep Ken Meier sane. Kenneth J. Meier is a Distinguished Scholar in Residence in the Department of Public Administration and Policy in the School of Public Affairs at American University, Washington DC, USA. His research considers institutional theories of organizations and politics and spans areas of representation and equity, comparative public administration, education, health care, and local government. Ken has published over 20 books and over 250 articles and has served as the editor of four journals in the fields of political science and public administration. Ken enjoys a good Cajun dish, watching NCAA track and field championships, and, above all, time with his wonderful wife, Diane.
This is an exceptional book that addresses issues of race and ethnicity in public administration from a wide range of topical areas, from education to housing. Each chapter is well-written and first-rate. As the issues relate to every facet of public administration, the book should be required reading for all students in the field as well as for practitioners. Norma Riccucci, Rutgers Newark University, USA Rutherford and Meier have collected an exceptional group of established and emerging scholars to tackle a thorny but often ignored issue that is vital to our politics and governance. Each chapter speaks to scholars and practitioners by relying on theory and empirical evidence to explore governance issues around race, representation, and inequality. The volume should be used as a core text for Public Administration courses and would be a nice addition to race and politics courses. Don Haider-Markel, University of Kansas, USA Rutherford and Meier have assembled a superb cast of scholars to reflect on the importance of race and racism in public administration. The volume offers an accessible introduction to the main currents of research in this area and marks a significant step forward in efforts to understand and address racial injustices in the administrative state. Highly recommended for students as well as advanced scholars. Joe Soss, University of Minnesota, USA