Other macroconceptualizations include network governance (Kickert, Klijn, and Koppenjan 1997; Sorensen and Torfing 2008; Goldsmith and Eggers 2004) and collaborative governance (Vigoda-Gadot 2003). Scholars use advanced quantitative statistical methods to compare the governance of many countries (Brewer, Choi, and Walker 2007). Scholars rank and rate the performance of an individual country in terms of governance reform by using complicated questionnaire items, scaling techniques, and quantitative methods (Arndt and Oman 2006; Arndt 2007; Hood 2007). In fact, several independent nongovernmental organizations such as Transparency International (using its Corruption Perception Index) and Global Integrity provide annual rankings of countries in terms of their governance performance, including levels of corruption and integrity. The World Bank also provides the Governance Indicators.
Fourth, the “one-country” track refers to studies of individual countries. This one-country approach to administrative reform is criticized by some scholars as being futile. They argue that one-country studies cannot be comparative. The concern here is the trade-off between quantity and quality. One is less able to do in-depth analysis when including a greater number of countries. But one-country cases can be useful if they are theory driven. One can then compare the country case studies done by other scholars who used the same theoretical framework and concepts. Governance concepts such as accountability, trust, integrity, and corruption can serve as comparative yard-sticks for these individual country cases. In fact, if one surveys the papers published in public administration journals, one would be surprised to learn that despite all the calls for comparative cross-country studies, almost all are one-country cases.
Perhaps it is not necessary to choose from among the four trajectories of the new emerging CAP paradigm. All four tracks are useful, and they should all be developed simultaneously. An individual scholar can choose to concentrate on one track and learn to respect the work done by others in the remaining tracks. All levels of analysis are useful. However, all four tracks should be theory driven under the common conceptual umbrella of governance and public management. In each track, one must also decide which aspects of governance and public management one wants to study. These include accountability, corruption, and transparency. How many country cases one wants to use and how many scholars are, in fact, needed in a comparative research project to cover all the selected countries also need to be considered. I would also encourage studies of governance and public management reform that compare countries from different regions.
CONCLUSION
Comparative public administration—“the dying field that never dies”---seems to be making a strong comeback. Though the new CPA is quite different from the old CPA, both do share a common belief that comparative studies are useful for understanding and improving our administrative systems. In this chapter I have explained the developments leading to the revival of CPA, the distinction between the new and old CPAs, and the future trajectories of the new CPA. NO matter which trajectory one chooses, most studies are likely to be driven by theories and concepts drawn from the growing literature on governance and public management.