PAT-Net Turns Twenty-Five: A Short History of the Public Administration Theory Network

Editor's note: This is an invited essay on the Public Administration Theory Network. Michael Harmon graciously agreed to sift through documents, communicate with people involved in development of the Network, and write a short history. The result is an interesting study in the relationship of a portion of public administration scholarship to the larger field, and it is timely because the Network is 25 years old this year. An essay such as this cannot cover everything of interest, but both longtime and new members may find it useful for understanding the initial and developing nature of the Network. Many thanks to Michael Harmon for his efforts and for this fine history of PAT-Net. RB