The old CPA saw developing countries as having characteristics that were obstacles to achieving higher levels of development.
These included weak democratic institutions, military intervention in politics, the monopoly of power by the bureaucracy, the inability of the public to monitor the bureaucracy, and low levels of education.
But the new CPA regards the development and reform of public administrative systems as an ongoing process for a from abroad was developing and developed. The borrowing of reform ideas rowing process a one-way, top-down process for the old but the bor- is a circle for CPA, can learn the new cPA. Developed countries from one another, and they can also learn from developing countries. Instead of blaming developing countries for being unable to develop at an expected scholars of the new CPA focus on the process of reform diffusion. They ask questions like these: What happens when reform innovations from abroad enter a foreign country? Are reform hybrids produced? What are the intended and unintended consequences of reform?