Trajectories of Reform: An Introduction

Abstract

Trajectories of reform are shaped by many factors and create differential effects. In this section of the The Palgrave Handbook of the Public Servant, we explore a diverse range of topics by focusing on how reform around the world has (de)constructed the notion of the public servant. In this introduction, we map out the various contributions and show how authors look across various levels of analysis in tracking how globalization and neoliberalism have triggered reforms that have disrupted and reshaped how we think about various aspects of the public servant. Covering a range of topics from understanding reform trajectories to citizen perceptions, place, performance, identity, and the role of nonpublic service bureaucrats, the authors provide new insights from a diverse set of countries and regions, providing important contributions to answering the question of what, and who, is the public servant.