PA TIMES Digital Library

Public Service Under Pressure

Themed "Public Service Under Pressure," this issue examines the strains facing public administration and the leaders navigating them — from Jos Raadschelders' defense of the profession against claims of academic ideological bias, to a reflection on Robert Mueller's leadership and character drawn from Garrett Graff's 2026 Annual Conference keynote. Susan T. Gooden explores research's role in strengthening democracy, and Geoff Beckwith examines the shifting terrain of federalism. A four-part feature brings together ASPA Sections and the Frederickson Center for Social Equity to analyze the 2025 Southern California wildfires through the lenses of emergency management, climate, equity, and intergovernmental relations, while Juliette Kayyem's Elliot Richardson lecture offers a framework for "failing safer" in crisis response.