The Program Committee invites proposals for individual papers and panels on any aspect of public management, governance, and policy. We encourage proposals in both of Canada’s official languages. Graduate students and non-academics are also invited to present their research at the conference.
Theme
Divides and Paradoxes in Public Administration: Challenges or Opportunities?
This year’s CAPPA conference will be held as part of the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, 31 May to 02 June, 2020. While opened to all areas of research, we encourage the submission of papers and panels related to Congress’ overall theme, which addresses the broad concept of bridging divides (http://www.congress2020.ca/about#theme).
In public administration, divides are often thought of as paradoxes. These paradoxes are embodied in the management of our public institutions and in the public policies they produce. They are present in the divides between elected representatives and administrators (e.g., decision making v. implementation), between government as an employer and public servants as employees (e.g., control v. decentralization), and between government and the social actors interested in and targeted by public policies (e.g., bureaucratic expertise v. co-production). In short, paradoxes are pervasive in the practice and study of public administration and are an important area of inquiry. Submissions that focus on these paradoxes are especially encouraged, although any other suggested topics are welcome.
As the conference is being hosted by Western University’s Local Government Program (LGP), we also strongly invite participants to submit papers that focus on municipal and other local governments.