Introduction

• Author: Danny L. Balfour,Stephanie P. Newbold
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/puar.12673
• Published date: 01 November 2016
• Date: 01 November 2016

966 Public Administration Review • November | December 2016

Public Administration Review,

Vol. 76, Iss. 6, pp. 966. © 2016 by

The American Society for Public Administration.

DOI: 10.1111/puar.12673.

Book Review

Editors’

Introduction

1 916. The United States, on the brink of entering

a world war and the turbulence of the twentieth

century, undertook a new domestic initiative

that created one of the nation ’ s greatest treasures: the

national parks system. In this issue ’ s book reviews,

beginning with Cheryl Simrell King ’ s review essay,

we reflect on the significance and meaning of the

park system to America ’ s history and identity, our

relationship with the “natural” world, and the

potential implications for public administration.

Both books reviewed by King challenge us to rethink

the history and future of the national parks system,

and in doing so, develop a deeper appreciation of

what was gained and lost, preserved and destroyed,

remembered and forgotten, in this 100-year history. It

is worth remembering that the national parks service

is foundational to American public administration

and the future of our field will be determined, in part,

by how the nation administers the national parks and

the environment in the years to come.

2016. Just as the conflict raging in Europe in 1916

required a national response, the United States (and

the world) must decide what to do about the threats

posed by global warming and climate change. As

with the global conflicts of the twentieth century,

we are debating the nature of the challenge, and

whether and to what extent to engage in combating

it—to be proactive, reactive, or do nothing at all.

And as before, the costs of getting this wrong are

likely to be enormous. The books reviewed by Dan

Fiorino and Claire Knox point out that the issues

are not only scientific and ecological, but also social,

economic, and political. Is capitalism the problem (as

argued by Naomi Klein)? Or, will capitalism provide

the answers (as argued by Wagner and Weitzman)?

Fiorino provides an informative overview and

comparison of these contrasting approaches to the

problem, concluding that “Both books reinforce a

looming reality: Without big changes in economic,

social, and ecological policies, catastrophic climate

change is almost inevitable. It is just a matter of

when and how much.” Knox ’ s review of Climate

Change: What It Means for Us, Our Children, and

Our Grandchildren reinforces this conclusion and

invites the reader to consider the full range of issues

addressed by this accessible book. She also points out

that there is “…a lack of climate change dialogue in

public administration literature, as evidenced in the

deficiency of related articles in top-ranked public

administration journals.” Perhaps these reviews can

help to kick-start a more robust engagement of this

issue by the field while there remains a meaningful

range of policy and administrative options to be

explored and implemented.

Finally, the reviews by Brook and Ingrams provide

insightful perspectives on contemporary governance

and leadership. Preserving national parks, dealing

with climate change, and the many other complex

issues confronting public administration in the

twenty-first century require effective leadership and an

understanding of the openness and constraints of the

contemporary governance environment.

Danny L. Balfour

Grand Valley State University

Stephanie P. Newbold

Rutgers University-Newark