urban management & policy.

American Public Administration is historically rooted in efforts to improve the management of localities and public policies affecting urban areas. The faculty at the School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska at Omaha continues that tradition of advancing the theory and practice of administering local government institutions and the understanding of urban policy. In additional to the notable link between public administration and local government, the continued devolution of the US federal system places greater responsibilities on local governments in the development of public policies and the delivery of public programs. Today sub-national levels of government play critical roles in domestic policy formulation and implementation, and program evaluation; therefore, our need to understand and improve urban management and policy continues to grow. Local governments and urban areas serve a central function in modern federal systems.

Students interested in studying urban management and policy at UNO should have a solid academic foundation in American National Government, the social sciences, written and oral communication, and quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Prospective students should also be familiar with the core concepts and principles of Urban Studies. Doctoral students at UNO will have opportunities to work with faculty in applied policy and scholarly research for local government organizations, and community-based local development organizations to improve administrative and managerial capacity, increase organizational effectiveness and efficiency, and understand public policies and processes. UNO faculty members have made significant scholarly contributions in local government management, citizen participation and governance, intergovernmental relations, budgeting and finance, community and economic development, and urban public policy. The Urban Studies Program and the Center for Public Affairs Research at UNO provides support to the academic mission of the School of Public Administration in advancing the theory and practice of urban management and policy and often provide students with opportunities for research and community outreach activities.

Faculty

John Bartle, Professor (PhD, The Ohio State University), is the Director of the School of Public Administration. He has published in a variety of journals on topics such as cutback management, the fiscal effects of intergovernmental grants on cities, local government taxation, procurement and contracting, and infrastructure finance. He is the editor of the book, Evolving Theories of Public Budgeting. He worked as a tax policy analyst in Minnesota state government, as well as for the American Enterprise Institute, and has been a consultant for federal, state and local government agencies, as well as international organizations.

Robert Blair, Associate Professor (PhD, University of Nebraska, Lincoln), teaches and conducts research in the general area of policy implementation theory and practice. He previously worked as a Senior Research Associate at the University's Center for Public Affairs Research. His research interests include economic development, community development, and housing and urban development. Dr. Blair has contributed chapters to public policy texts, helped produce several applied research monographs and reports, and has published in several academic journals. He previously served as the editor of the Journal of the Community Development Society. Dr. Blair worked nearly 20 years in state and local government as an administrator, economic developer, and community planner. Currently he is working with city manager's organizations, and is engaged in research on policy tools and urban sprawl, and participatory neighborhood planning and development.

Richard C. Box, Regents/Foundation Professor (DPA, University of Southern California), teaches urban studies and planning and has research interests in citizen involvement, community power, and the role of the public practitioner in the policy process. Dr. Box served in local government for thirteen years in planning, building inspection, housing, public works, and city administration. He has published in the primary journals in public administration and has authored or edited four books, Citizen Governance: Leading American Communities Into the 21st Century (Sage Publications, 1998), Public Administration and Society: Critical Issues in American Governance (M.E. Sharpe, 2004), Critical Social Theory in Public Administration (M.E. Sharpe, 2005), and Democracy and Public Administration (M.E. Sharpe, 2007). Dr. Box is director of the Master’s in Urban Studies program.

Dale Krane, Kayser Chair Professor (PhD The University of Minnesota), conducts research in federalism and intergovernmental relations, state and local government management, and public policy. He has published articles and essays on community development, county administration, grant management, local government implementation of federal policies, municipal revenue trends, and water management. His reference volume entitled Home Rule in America has been cited in the Harvard Law Review (June 2003) as the "leading survey of home rule in America." He has provided technical assistance to local governments in the United States and other countries. He has been a consultant to the Nebraska Commission for Local Government Restructuring and Innovation, Nebraska Municipal Clerks Association, the Mississippi Association of County Supervisors, the US Geological Survey, and the Council of State Governments. Currently, he is the editor of the annual issue on the state of America federalism which is published by Publius: The Journal of Federalism.