Avoiding the problems that come with compartmentalizing the various specializations within government, this book provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary view of government that includes perspectives from political science, international relations, sociology, economics and history.

Introduction; 1. Government: The Most Complex Social Phenomenon of Our Time; Part I. Why Government? The Ideational (Institutional) Level; 2. Citizens and Their Government: Who Needs Who? 3. The Legal Constitution of Society and Government; 4. The Moral Constitution of Society and Government; Part II. What Services Does Government Provide? The Societal (Institutional) Level; 5. Democracy: Between Local Community and National Government; 6. Equality Before the Law: Social Justice and the Administration of Justice; 7. The Nightwatch State: External and Internal Safety; 8. The Welfare State: Novelty and Triumph of the Twentieth Century; Part III. How Does Government Operate? The Organizational (Actor) Level; 9. Efficiency: Government Between Legalist-Administrative and Managerial Values; 10. Organizational Structure, Culture, Change, and Reform; 11. The Functioning of Government; Part IV. Who Governs? The Individual (Actor) Level; 12. Political Officeholders and Political Employees; 13. Bureaucrats and the Civil Service: Between Images and Facts; 14. Organized Society: Citizenship, Interest Groups, and Citizen Participation; Conclusion; 15. A Holistic Perspective on Government and Governance