Public Management of Society : Rediscovering French Institutional Engineering in the European Context

Public Management of Society (PMS) is fundamental, because it deals with all activities of public authorities. This study about France, a unique laboratory for PMS for about 20 centuries, offers information to supplement Anglo-American literature. The Fifth Republic, some fields of public policy-making, international relations and the European Union are handled. PMS must be studied in co-disciplinary perspective. Rule of Law, Idea of Public Authority and Cultural Intelligence are crucial. There are universal ideas of good government, but each country has to find its own optimum with cultural intelligence. Practitioners must use cultural intelligence to be effective. This book is a source book of facts and interpretations for comparative studies about Public Management of Society, defined as all activities of public authorities. It is the result of a research project, specifically about France, a unique laboratory for Public Management of Society for the last 20 centuries. As shown in this book, historical experiences are relevant for contemporary Public Management of Society. One can find reasoned information about the Fifth Republic (and preceding regimes), public policy making and politics, international relations and the European Union. It is argued that Public Management of Society has to be studies in a co-disciplinary perspective. Rule of Law, Idea of Public Authority and Cultural Intelligence are crucial for Public Management of Society and good government. Many ideas about good government are presented as universal, but each country has to find its own optimum with cultural intelligence. Practitioners of Public Management of Society have to be culturally intelligent to be effective. This study about France, a unique laboratory for Public Management of Society (PMS) for about 20 centuries, offers information to supplement Anglo-American literature. The Fifth Republic, some fields of public policy-making, international relations and the European Union are handled. CD-ROM contains two appendices: The relevance of history for contemporary French public management of society (I-XX centuries) -- Bibliography, public management of society