Public Administration and Public Policy

Welcome to PAPP, the Uppsala Public Administration and Public Policy research group!

The Uppsala Public Administration and Public Policy research group is concerned with understanding public administration as a central component of the political system and a cornerstone of democratic governance. Public administration is responsible for implementing policy, providing decision-makers with knowledge and expertise, and serving, at both national and local levels, as a key link between the state and citizens. How public administration is organized therefore shapes how policy is translated into practice, what forms of knowledge inform political decisions, and how citizens encounter the public sector – making it a central subject of political science.

We bring together researchers interested in questions concerning the organization and governance of public administration, the formulation of policy problems and ideas that shape policy, policy processes and implementation, the relationship between politics and administration, and public sector professions and practices. We are also interested in how broader societal changes – such as new technologies, demographic trends and the of rise populism – affect public administration and its role in democratic systems. The group provides a forum for researchers and PhD students working on public administration and public policy drawing on diverse theoretical, methodological, and empirical approaches.