Fiscal Issues & Geeky Stuff

The first Minnowbrook Conference was held in 1968 at Minnowbrook, Syracuse University’s conference center. Fifty young scholars -- strictly under age 35 -- were gathered by Dwight Waldo gathered to “redefine the focuses of public administration theory.” The conference marked the beginning of the “New Public Administration,” which put more emphasis on the normative approach, in contrast to the traditional perception that public administration should be “value neutral.” The arguments were presented in the famous proceedings, Toward a New Public Administration: The Minnowbrook Perspective.

Twenty years later, a second conference, called "Minnowbrook II" was spearheaded by George Frederickson and held at the same facility. The conference produced several papers that were published in edited journal symposia in the years following the conference, and a book titled Public Management in an Interconnected World: Essays in the Minnowbrook Tradition. The discussions (and debates) continued to challenge the status quo of public administration research and practice.

And now comes the Minnowbrook III, which will be held this September to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the original conference. Following the Minnowbrook legacy, the organizers again gather 50 “young” scholars to discuss how “public service can better respond to the turbulence and critical problems of our times.” I am having the privilege to participate in this “Preconference Workshop,” at an age that barely surpasses the original bar of 35.