2026 SPAR Best Book Award (Edited Volume)

The Section on Public Administration Research (SPAR) Best Book Award is evaluated on criteria such as outstanding accomplishment of the research objectives, high-quality writing and potential to constitute a lasting contribution to public administration literature. 

Among several high-quality edited volumes submitted this year, the committee recognized this text for its exceptional theoretical and empirical contributions to the field. Pathways to Positive Public Administration advances a theory of positive public administration, supported by a diverse array of rigorous research chapters exploring how this framework manifests across international contexts. The volume makes a compelling case for positive public administration as a distinct and generative theoretical space.