Book review : Handbook on the politics of small states [Jugl]

Abstract

The Handbook on the politics in small states provides a timely overview of the state-of- the-art research on small-state politics. Among other aspects, the handbook also provides

insights on public policy and public management in small states. Public administration and public policy in small states is a minuscule research field, a niche (public administration and policy) within a niche (small state research). The same goes for this handbook in which only three out of 24 chapters focus on questions of policy or administration. Nevertheless, these chapters (3, 4 and 5) are valuable sources for scholars and practitioners interested in how the public sector is organized and managed and how policies are made and implemented in small states. Authored by leading scholars in the field; the chapters combine overviews of established knowledge and general features of small states with discussions of recent debates and stimuli for future studies. The following sections review these three chapters; and, in conclusion, perspectives and priorities for future research are considered. [excerpt]