Book review : Country size and public administration

Abstract

This short book opens with an ambitious declaration: the reader is promised “the most comprehensive theoretical and empirical account to date of the effects that country size has on the functioning of public administration” (Abstract). When considering that country size is one of the most manifest and widely used characteristics of states, it is quite striking that this claim actually proves true. Indeed, this concise publication from the Cambridge Elements series is the first inclusive account of the impact of country size on the functioning of public administration. Despite the growing interest in the function of country size, especially among small state scholars, there is hardly any systematic discussion on it as an independent factor in comparative public administration. What the book offers is a well-structured and smoothly written treatise on the impact of country size in the domain of public administration. Importantly, the volume does not focus on the peculiarities of a specific size; rather, the focus is on country size, from small to large, as measured by population size. The central argument is that the factor of size is important. Country size has effects on administrative structures, on administrative practices, and eventually on public service performance. The three analytical anchors of structures, practices and performance form the backbone of the book and keep the analysis on a clearly defined track. [excerpt]