Journal of Public Affairs Education

Student Preferences for Federal, State, and Local Government Careers: National Opportunities and Local Service Although scholars have examined the federal government’s competition with the private sector for talented new workers, undergraduate attraction to careers in state or local government has been larg...

especially outside public affairs majors.

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Using data from a major Midwestern university, it finds that stronger public service motivation and greater confidence in state/local capability boost subnational interest, and recommends self-assessments, internships, and service programs to engage more students,

Trending on Altmetric, this #SundayScholar study explores undergraduate preferences for federal, state, and local government careers, analyzing how altruistic service motives, perceptions of government capability, and job attributes influence their choices. 🧵

Education as an e-resilient system: Empirical insights from stakeholder perspectives in public affairs education This paper explores the concept of e-resilience in educational systems, particularly in Public Affairs Education, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigate the drivers and challenges fac...

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Findings from 36 group interviews reveal that while technological issues hinder system performance, human-level disruptions more severely affect learning, yet diverse local drivers offer valuable lessons for strengthening education systems against future shocks.

using an adapted ecological model to analyze technological, human, and intersecting challenges at macro, meso, and micro levels.

On this #SundayScholar, we highlight the work of Julieta Marotta and Mondel van de Laar.
Their paper examines how Public Affairs Education systems in five countries responded to the COVID-19 crisis through the lens of e-resilience,

#ThrowBackThursday to this read that asked, "What does it take actually to build back better?" This article highlights Ghana’s public administration education, connecting workforce policy, curriculum design, and social equity within a global context:

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A pathway toward activating social equity in public administration education from the bottom up: The case of the energy and environmental justice educational and advocacy program Social equity is a core principle in public administration, yet its practical application has often lagged behind significant theoretical advancements. This article addresses that gap in doctoral e...

A must-read for anyone rethinking how we teach public service:
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Through the Energy and Environmental Justice Educational and Advocacy Program (EEJEAP), this article demonstrates how bottom-up, student-led experiential learning equips doctoral students to bridge the gap between theory and practice, addressing real-world equity challenges in energy access.

On this #SundayScholar, we’re spotlighting this trending piece on Altmetric that tackles a pressing question: How do we activate social equity in public administration education? @mohsenfatemi.bsky.social

The contribution of formal and informal mentorship to faculty productivity: Views of faculty in public affairs programs This study examines how mentorship opportunities contribute to the productivity and career growth of public affairs faculty, stratified by gender and race. The study uses primary data coming from a...

revealing important disparities by race and gender.

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#SundayScholar
Mentoring shapes academic careers in public affairs in complex ways. Using survey data from 2017 and 2021, this study shows that formal mentoring benefits white and male faculty, while informal mentoring supports mid-career faculty across all genders and races,

Creating valuable indigenous learning environments Indigenous governments are growing in size and strength. As a result, indigenous issues are becoming more frequently and prominently in the public administration landscape. Whether it is natural re...

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#ThrowbackThursday
As Indigenous governments grow stronger, their issues are becoming more prominent in public administration. Embedding Indigenous knowledge, perspectives, and culturally grounded practices into core curricula creates more inclusive and effective public administration programs.

Using a Simulation-Based Learning Environment for Teaching and Learning about Complexity in Public Policy Decision Making Public leaders and managers today are being challenged by unprecedented, complex problems. Tackling “wicked problems” requires a new way of thinking, and new methods and tools for building models t...

Using a simulation-based learning environment built around a U.S. Gulf Coast disaster preparedness case, the authors explore how MPA students can better grasp and respond to “wicked problems” through experiential learning.

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Check out our #ThrowbackThursday article.

This study presents a multidimensional framework for understanding complexity in public policy, addressing both analytic and socially constructed aspects.

Leveraging ChatGPT in public sector human resource management education The potential benefits and challenges of AI in the workplace are documented with public service facing a particular choice to leverage this tool to better communities. This article explores the use...

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#SundayScholars
One of the most-read JPAE articles explores how generative AI tools like ChatGPT can be used to prepare public service students for an AI-integrated workplace. It shares practical strategies and lessons from using AI in a human resource management course.

Gender and the Role of Directors of Public Administration and Policy Programs This article examines the role of gender as it relates to director positions in Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Master of Public Policy (MPP) programs. It specifically investigates whethe...

their faculty representation (about 35%).

Interviews reveal that although some gender stereotypes persist, both men and women face similar challenges in balancing administrative duties with research and teaching responsibilities.

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#ThrowbackThursday

💫 This article explores gender dynamics in leadership roles within MPA and MPP programs, focusing on who becomes program director and how the experience differs by gender. Survey data show that women hold director positions roughly in proportion to

Teaching democracy: A review of public administration introductory courses The concept of democracy is a critical area of study and practice within the field of public administration. From democratic governance to democratic values, and by extension social equity, justice...

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This research analyzes U.S. public administration programs to assess how much they teach and promote democracy. A content analysis of introductory course syllabi shows that democratic values and perspectives are often marginalized or minimally included. #SundayScholars

Globalizing public affairs education: The role of comparative public administration in the MPA classroom Master of Public Administration (MPA) alumni face increasingly diverse and global professional expectations. Public affairs specialists generally go on to manage complex partnerships that involve a...

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This paper highlights the value of comparative public administration, examines how it’s currently taught, and offers practical strategies and outcomes to strengthen its role in MPA education. #ThrowbackThursday

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A Fulbright Experience: Building Relationships with Christians and Muslims with HIV/AIDS in Zambia This article chronicles a 2009–10 lecturing and research Fulbright award for The University of Zambia in Lusaka. It explains the background for the application and discusses an overview of the lect...

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The experience enriched the author's public administration and policy teaching. The author also outlines commitments to promoting cultural exchange, encouraging Fulbright participation, integrating the experience into curricula, and sharing insights with students, colleagues, and the community.

This article reflects on a 2009–10 Fulbright experience at the University of Zambia, highlighting teaching activities and two research projects, one on individuals with HIV/AIDS and another surveying religious leaders.

The study also introduces a policy typology explaining how universities differ in handling claims and explores the effectiveness of these approaches.

Read it here:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15236803.2025.2514331