The Transformation of Governance and Public Affairs Education

Public affairs education faces a critical challenge in providing managers and analysts with the right knowledge and skills in a time when governance has been transformed. While government's traditional institutions and processes have become less central to the attainment of public purposes, new institutions and processes that rely on private partners and networks have become more important. The challenge facing public managers is to frame new tactics to manage programs effectively while preserving basic processes of democratic accountability. The challenge for public affairs programs is to prepare students to manage in a world in which not all public service will be in government; more program implementation will occur through nonhierarchical relationships; more domestic policy will be shaped by global forces; and government will need to incorporate new forms of public participation.