“Paradigm” no doubt is an overworked word. Nevertheless, it is a useful one because there is no other term that conveys the concept of a field’s self-identity. Paradigmatic questions are of especial significance in public administration. With approximately 90 per cent of all advanced degree graduates in public administration going into government employment, with roughly one-in-six members of the American labor force working for one government or another, and with administrative-profession-technical personnel the major growth factor in public service hiring practices, it follows that the way in which public administration defines itself will determine to a profound degree the manner in which government work. It