Public Administration Beyond Public Administration Journals

ABSTRACT Public administration (PA) research published in economics journals (PA in Econ) can be summarized by five stylized facts using bibliometric analysis and expert survey data. First, PA in Econ represents a large volume of research, comparable to all quantitatively oriented PA research published in PA journals. Second, PA in Econ exists in a parallel universe, with almost no citations to the field of PA. Third, PA in Econ features a much more diverse set of empirical settings, including more non-Western cases. Fourth, PA in Econ employs more rigorous designs for causal inference. Fifth, PA in Econ is evaluated as equally relevant by PA scholars. We conclude by arguing that the most aspirational way forward for the field of PA is to live up to its identity as an interdisciplinary field and aim to integrate PA research across disciplines.