Originally published in 1975, this book advocates a certain approach to the study of government: the focus should be institutional, the method comparative and the level practical. The book divides into 2 sections on political science and public administration but the themes are common, as is much of the subject matter. Chapters on the institutional and comparative approach are intended to show how political institutions are often designed to reflect political theories, how institutional engineering may take place and how lessons for domestic reform may be learnt from foreign experience. The second section looks at the state of public administration studies in Britain, the nature of the subject, drawing on the work of earlier theorists, the role of the universities and the civic contribution such study can make