This unique series of role-playing scenarios gives students a realistic view of what it is like to manage public agencies, programs, and employees, providing students with a deeper understanding of the field through active learning.

The goals of this exciting new supplementary text are to stimulate interest in the field of public administration and to offer readers tools and insights that will prepare them to be better public managers. The book features contemporary, realistic cases of typical managerial challenges faced by administrators in both the public and non-profit sectors. Compiled and edited by Professor Robert Watson, the 24 cases in this volume have been written by public administration instructors and practitioners from across the country and, as is often the situation in the real world, there are no easy answers to the challenges presented. The Case Analysis approach employed by the book is designed to foster critical thinking and group discussion about the complex issues presented in the cases, and to promote comprehensive but realistic analysis as a tool of, and pre-condition for, decision-making. Appropriate for undergraduate, graduate, or mid-career students, this volume is sure to get students engaged, help them apply concepts, and aid them in developing strong decision-making skills.