Understanding Intergovernmental Relations, Twenty-five Years Hence

• Date: 01 March 2014
• Author: Brendan F. Burke
• DOI: 10.1177/0160323X13520461
• Published date: 01 March 2014
• Subject Matter: Reviews & Essays

Reviews & Essays

Understanding

Intergovernmental Relations,

Twenty-five Years Hence

Brendan F. Burke

1

Abstract

This article reviewsDeil Wright’s textbook, Understanding Intergovernmental Relations, and assesses its

current relevanceto its field of coverage. Wright’slast edition of this book was published in 1988.This

article, after describing significant lessons from the textbook, summarizes Wright’s related research

and commentary from the following two decades, and also analyzes three current intergovernmental

topics based on four of Wright’s most important metaphors and historical observations. The 1988

book remains relevant to intergovernmental relations today, though it only tangentially informs the

more cross-sectoral turn that the field has taken in recent years.

Keywords

intergovernmental relations, collaborative public management, public administration history

Introduction: An Unfinished

Project?

Deil Wright (1930–2009) was one of the great

scholars, instructors, and practitioners of public

administration. His research articles number

well into the triple figures, and the quantity of

his output is more impressive for its high qual-

ity, as validated through honors such as Amer-

ican Society for Public Administration

(ASPA’s) Dwight Waldo Award for career

achievement and the Herbert Kau fman Award

(three times) for the best paper in Public

Administration Review. Some of his dozen

books have been central to the teaching of com-

parative public administration, urban politics,

and intergovernmental relations (IGR) around

the world. All of this output supplemented and

served his teaching for nearly fifty years, most

prominently from his base at the University of

North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to his

training of many prominent public managers

and accomplished public administration scho-

lars, Deil served a president (Richard Nixon), a

governor (James Holshauser of North Carolina),

and agencies including the Advisory Commis-

sion on Intergovernmental Relations (ACIR).

A number of colleagues wrote in respect and

admiration upon his passing (Brudney 2009;

Weissert2009; Dometrius et al. 2009). He joked,

late in life, thathis success came from his ability

to ‘‘work like the devil.’’

In his scholarly work, Wright had a penchant

for alliteration and metaphors, which are on

display within this article. This was probably

not driven by a sense of artistry, though he was

1

Institute for Public Service, Suffolk University, Boston,

MA, USA

Corresponding Author:

Brendan F. Burke, Suffolk University, 8 Ashburton Place,

Boston, MA 02108, USA.

Email: bburke@suffolk.edu

State and Local GovernmentReview

2014, Vol. 46(1) 63-76

ªThe Author(s) 2014

Reprints and permission:

sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav

DOI: 10.1177/0160323X13520461

slgr.sagepub.com