An optimistic state? Pathways to positive public administration

In 2021 a group of 15 scholars from different sub-fields, countries, and generations made the case for the development of a positive scholarship of public administration. We take this call forward in this chapter, and in this collection. We situate our call in a time of low trust in government, and a pervasive negativity bias in how public administration is portrayed. We do not deny that studying the dark sides of public administration - maladministration, mismanagement, abuse of administrative power, institutional exclusion - is critically important. Doing so can teach us what to confront and repudiate in how governance institutions are set up and how they operate. Indeed, many of the manifesto authors have spent careers doing just this. Yet, while there is a perennial need for social learning on ‘what to avoid’ and ‘what does not work’ in government, there is an equally important need for evidence-informed learning about ‘what to aspire to’ and ‘what works.' Thus, like the PPA manifesto authors, we make a case for paying more attention to the ‘bright side’ of what government does, how, and to what effect. In this opening chapter to the volume we explore what this invitation to ‘walk on the bright side’ means. What are the implications of PPA for the study and practice of public administration? What are the merits and demerits of a ‘positive’ approach to the field, and where can we find guidance on navigating its opportunities and obstacles? How can we ensure that ‘positive’ research is truly scholarly and amounts to more than simply being optimistic about the state? In this chapter, we begin to address these and other questions. We first situate the PPA project in the study and practice of public administration, exploring what it means for both the academic and practical mindset. We then examine other ‘positive’ projects within the social sciences and identify some lessons for PPA. Finally, we foreshadow the volume’s design and contents, and invite you to ‘take a walk on the bright side.'.