Public administration ensures the development & delivery of the essential public services required for sustaining modern civilization Covering areas from public safety & social welfare to transportation & education the services provided through the public sector are inextricably part of our daily lives However mandatory budgetary cuts in recent years have caused public administrators to radically re-think how they govern in the modern age In this Very Short Introduction Stella Theodoulou & Ravi Roy offer practical insight into the major challenges confronting the public sector in the globalized era Tackling some of the most hotly debated issues of our time including the privatization of public services & government surveillance they take the reader on a global journey through history to examine the origins development & continued evolution of public administration ABOUT THE SERIES The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly Our expert authors combine facts analysis perspective new ideas & enthusiasm to make interesting & challenging topics highly readable