Thomas A Bryer
Biographic Data
| ID | 4399562 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Thomas A Bryer |
| GIVEN NAMES | Thomas A |
| FAMILY NAME | Bryer |
| SIGNATURE | BRYER T A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Central Florida |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6002-6152 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 115 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 20 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2006 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Volunteers and Law Enforcement in the National Parks: A Typology of Roles and Functions
Volunteers perform multiple functions of law enforcement operations to keep people and property safe. This article identifies and classifies the roles and functions of volunteers serving within the National Park Service in support of law enforcement and protection. Based on an embedded case study project that included interviews with 169 volunteers and park rangers at 22 National Park Service sites, plus service as a volunteer in 3 national park …
Building governance infrastructure for a technological and resident network for low-cost neighborhood air quality monitoring
Low-cost air quality sensor networks have gained tremendous popularity in the past decade, and they are increasingly being used for air quality related research and public outreach. They are also being used by different levels of governments as a governance tool to handle the ‘wicked’ problem of ambient air pollution. The smart and trustworthy air quality network is a multi-disciplinary, large-scale, low-cost sensor network designed for air quali…
Air Quality Enhancement Districts: Democratizing data to improve respiratory health
Emigration, population shrinkage and a rationale for local solutions: Lessons for local governments and NGOs
Emigration and population shrinkage are challenges faced in countries and communities throughout the world. Based on a systematic literature analysis of approximately 600 articles, we examine voluntary emigration through the lens of non‐economic factors, establishing a cohesive and coherent view of the literature landscape across disciplines and enabling discussion of how local governments and non‐governmental organizations might respond to emigr…
Facilitating Public Participation in Local Governments in Hard Times
In the wake of the economic crisis in 2007, many municipal governments faced a variety of financial challenges. Scholars and practitioners call for citizen participation in various parts of government; however, it is unclear how efforts to engage the public can be sustained when municipalities undergo tough financial times. This research explores the impact of internal and external factors—(a) impact of financial crisis, (b) environmental and org…
Foundations and Frontiers of Deliberative Governance ‐ by John S. Dryzek
Assessing the Costs of Public Participation: A Case Study of Two Online Participation Mechanisms
In 2009, the authors facilitated a citizen-participation process in a local community in Florida in the United States. Using an inductive content analysis across two online participation data sources, the study develops a set of testable propositions about cost functions of public participation. The study shows a nonlinear relationship between administrative costs and participation quantity. It also demonstrates no direct relationship between the…
H. George Frederickson and the Dialogue on Citizenship in Public Administration
We owe a debt to H. George Frederickson for advancing the scholarly and practitioner dialogue on the role of citizens and the value of citizenship in public administration. Frederickson's contributions began in the late 1960s and early 1970s on citizenship in urban governance, advanced through the development of New Public Administration values, and, more recently, extended through the formulation of ideas regarding the restoration of civism and …
Identity Crisis: Searching for Personal Responsibility, Justice, and Community in the Real Estate Market Crash
The author introduces his own and, to a different extent, society's identity crisis in the context of the real estate market crash. Through personal reflection and analysis of federal policies, four challenges are observed: (1) lack of community focus, (2) neglect of certain populations, (3) unambiguous devotion to encouraging personal responsibility, and (4) no clear statement of moral commitment. Policy and institutional changes are suggested t…
The Costs of Democratization: Social Media Adaptation Challenges Within Government Agencies
This article suggests challenges, primarily, for enacting social media and networking technologies for public participation. Approached from multiple theoretical lenses for the purpose of public participation (representative, pluralist, direct, and deliberative theories) and multiple filters that can shape the design and implementation of technologies (organizational culture, administrative culture, formal institutions, and political intelligence…
Social Media and Public Administration: Theoretical Dimensions and Introduction to the Symposium
(2011). Social Media and Public Administration. Administrative Theory & Praxis: Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 325-340
Toward “Strong Democracy” in Global Cities? Social Capital Building, Theory‐Driven Reform, and the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Experience
With faith in government waning, cultural diversity spiraling, and fiscal stress straining the ability of policy makers to address the policy challenges accompanying these developments, the salience of (re)connecting citizens with government takes on renewed urgency today. Nowhere is this more the case than in urban America, where so‐called global cities teeming with ethnic diversity and controlling a disproportionate amount of global business in…
Public Administration Theory in the Obama Era
The authors listed above and a few others met during the 2009 Public Administration Theory Network Conference, as part of the Open Space Technology process, to talk about what the new Obama administration might mean for public administration theory. Open Space Technology is a self-organizing process where participants set their own agenda to discuss complex topics of interest (see Stout & Bryer, 2009. This essay summarizes our conversation and pr…
Minnowbrook III: What Was Missing?: Procedural Justice and Backbone
(2009). Minnowbrook III: What Was Missing?: Procedural Justice and Backbone. Administrative Theory & Praxis: Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 102-105
Reflections on a Themeless Conference: PAT-Net 2009, Frankfort, Kentucky
Explaining Responsiveness in Collaboration: Administrator and Citizen Role Perceptions
Between 2003 and 2006, researchers facilitated a collaborative learning process with representatives of Los Angeles neighborhood councils and officials from city agencies. In two cases, each involving a large city agency, the quality of responsiveness on the part of agency officials to participating citizens was substantially different. This study considers the reasons why agency officials differed in their responsiveness. Using an inductive qual…
Warning: The Hollow State Can Be Deadly
William Robertson: Exemplar of Politics and Public Management Rightly Understood
William Robertson, director of the City of Los Angeles’ Bureau of Street Services, is profiled here as an exemplary public administrator. The authors suggest that Robertson practices politics appropriately in his role in order to achieve great outcomes for his bureau, the citizens with whom he works, and the city as a whole. To adequately define the ways in which Robertson uses politics, Sherry Arnstein’s “ladder of participation” is reconceptual…
Citizen‐Centered Collaborative Public Management
Civic engagement and collaborative public management are concepts that are defined broadly, making theoretical explication challenging and practical application of empirical research difficult. In this article, the authors adopt definitions of civic engagement and collaborative public management that are centered on the citizen and the potential for active citizenship. Following a historical review of civic engagement in the United States, a conc…
Toward a Relevant Agenda for a Responsive Public Administration
The relevance of the concept “bureaucratic responsiveness” has been questioned in recent years. One reason for the questioned relevance is the apparent environmental changes that are occurring in public administration. Globalization and devolution have infiltrated the halls of bureaucracies. Public agencies are being asked to collaborate with actors in other sectors of society, including, and especially, citizens and citizen associations. In addi…
Toward a Relevant Agenda for a Responsive Public Administration
The relevance of the concept “bureaucratic responsiveness” has been questioned in recent years. One reason for the questioned relevance is the apparent environmental changes that are occurring in public administration. Globalization and devolution have infiltrated the halls of bureaucracies. Public agencies are being asked to collaborate with actors in other sectors of society, including, and especially, citizens and citizen associations. In addi…
Toward “Strong Democracy” in Global Cities? Social Capital Building, Theory‐Driven Reform, and the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Experience
With faith in government waning, cultural diversity spiraling, and fiscal stress straining the ability of policy makers to address the policy challenges accompanying these developments, the salience of (re)connecting citizens with government takes on renewed urgency today. Nowhere is this more the case than in urban America, where so‐called global cities teeming with ethnic diversity and controlling a disproportionate amount of global business in…
Social Media and Public Administration: Theoretical Dimensions and Introduction to the Symposium
(2011). Social Media and Public Administration. Administrative Theory & Praxis: Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 325-340
Assessing the Costs of Public Participation: A Case Study of Two Online Participation Mechanisms
In 2009, the authors facilitated a citizen-participation process in a local community in Florida in the United States. Using an inductive content analysis across two online participation data sources, the study develops a set of testable propositions about cost functions of public participation. The study shows a nonlinear relationship between administrative costs and participation quantity. It also demonstrates no direct relationship between the…
Facilitating Public Participation in Local Governments in Hard Times
In the wake of the economic crisis in 2007, many municipal governments faced a variety of financial challenges. Scholars and practitioners call for citizen participation in various parts of government; however, it is unclear how efforts to engage the public can be sustained when municipalities undergo tough financial times. This research explores the impact of internal and external factors—(a) impact of financial crisis, (b) environmental and org…
The Costs of Democratization: Social Media Adaptation Challenges Within Government Agencies
This article suggests challenges, primarily, for enacting social media and networking technologies for public participation. Approached from multiple theoretical lenses for the purpose of public participation (representative, pluralist, direct, and deliberative theories) and multiple filters that can shape the design and implementation of technologies (organizational culture, administrative culture, formal institutions, and political intelligence…
Public Administration Theory in the Obama Era
The authors listed above and a few others met during the 2009 Public Administration Theory Network Conference, as part of the Open Space Technology process, to talk about what the new Obama administration might mean for public administration theory. Open Space Technology is a self-organizing process where participants set their own agenda to discuss complex topics of interest (see Stout & Bryer, 2009. This essay summarizes our conversation and pr…
Emigration, population shrinkage and a rationale for local solutions: Lessons for local governments and NGOs
Emigration and population shrinkage are challenges faced in countries and communities throughout the world. Based on a systematic literature analysis of approximately 600 articles, we examine voluntary emigration through the lens of non‐economic factors, establishing a cohesive and coherent view of the literature landscape across disciplines and enabling discussion of how local governments and non‐governmental organizations might respond to emigr…
Citizen‐Centered Collaborative Public Management
Civic engagement and collaborative public management are concepts that are defined broadly, making theoretical explication challenging and practical application of empirical research difficult. In this article, the authors adopt definitions of civic engagement and collaborative public management that are centered on the citizen and the potential for active citizenship. Following a historical review of civic engagement in the United States, a conc…
Toward a Relevant Agenda for a Responsive Public Administration
The relevance of the concept “bureaucratic responsiveness” has been questioned in recent years. One reason for the questioned relevance is the apparent environmental changes that are occurring in public administration. Globalization and devolution have infiltrated the halls of bureaucracies. Public agencies are being asked to collaborate with actors in other sectors of society, including, and especially, citizens and citizen associations. In addi…
William Robertson: Exemplar of Politics and Public Management Rightly Understood
William Robertson, director of the City of Los Angeles’ Bureau of Street Services, is profiled here as an exemplary public administrator. The authors suggest that Robertson practices politics appropriately in his role in order to achieve great outcomes for his bureau, the citizens with whom he works, and the city as a whole. To adequately define the ways in which Robertson uses politics, Sherry Arnstein’s “ladder of participation” is reconceptual…
Warning: The Hollow State Can Be Deadly
Minnowbrook III: What Was Missing?: Procedural Justice and Backbone
(2009). Minnowbrook III: What Was Missing?: Procedural Justice and Backbone. Administrative Theory & Praxis: Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 102-105
Reflections on a Themeless Conference: PAT-Net 2009, Frankfort, Kentucky
Explaining Responsiveness in Collaboration: Administrator and Citizen Role Perceptions
Between 2003 and 2006, researchers facilitated a collaborative learning process with representatives of Los Angeles neighborhood councils and officials from city agencies. In two cases, each involving a large city agency, the quality of responsiveness on the part of agency officials to participating citizens was substantially different. This study considers the reasons why agency officials differed in their responsiveness. Using an inductive qual…
Public Administration Theory in the Obama Era
The authors listed above and a few others met during the 2009 Public Administration Theory Network Conference, as part of the Open Space Technology process, to talk about what the new Obama administration might mean for public administration theory. Open Space Technology is a self-organizing process where participants set their own agenda to discuss complex topics of interest (see Stout & Bryer, 2009. This essay summarizes our conversation and pr…
The Costs of Democratization: Social Media Adaptation Challenges Within Government Agencies
This article suggests challenges, primarily, for enacting social media and networking technologies for public participation. Approached from multiple theoretical lenses for the purpose of public participation (representative, pluralist, direct, and deliberative theories) and multiple filters that can shape the design and implementation of technologies (organizational culture, administrative culture, formal institutions, and political intelligence…
Social Media and Public Administration: Theoretical Dimensions and Introduction to the Symposium
(2011). Social Media and Public Administration. Administrative Theory & Praxis: Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 325-340
Toward “Strong Democracy” in Global Cities? Social Capital Building, Theory‐Driven Reform, and the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Experience
With faith in government waning, cultural diversity spiraling, and fiscal stress straining the ability of policy makers to address the policy challenges accompanying these developments, the salience of (re)connecting citizens with government takes on renewed urgency today. Nowhere is this more the case than in urban America, where so‐called global cities teeming with ethnic diversity and controlling a disproportionate amount of global business in…
Assessing the Costs of Public Participation: A Case Study of Two Online Participation Mechanisms
In 2009, the authors facilitated a citizen-participation process in a local community in Florida in the United States. Using an inductive content analysis across two online participation data sources, the study develops a set of testable propositions about cost functions of public participation. The study shows a nonlinear relationship between administrative costs and participation quantity. It also demonstrates no direct relationship between the…
H. George Frederickson and the Dialogue on Citizenship in Public Administration
We owe a debt to H. George Frederickson for advancing the scholarly and practitioner dialogue on the role of citizens and the value of citizenship in public administration. Frederickson's contributions began in the late 1960s and early 1970s on citizenship in urban governance, advanced through the development of New Public Administration values, and, more recently, extended through the formulation of ideas regarding the restoration of civism and …
Identity Crisis: Searching for Personal Responsibility, Justice, and Community in the Real Estate Market Crash
The author introduces his own and, to a different extent, society's identity crisis in the context of the real estate market crash. Through personal reflection and analysis of federal policies, four challenges are observed: (1) lack of community focus, (2) neglect of certain populations, (3) unambiguous devotion to encouraging personal responsibility, and (4) no clear statement of moral commitment. Policy and institutional changes are suggested t…
Foundations and Frontiers of Deliberative Governance ‐ by John S. Dryzek
Facilitating Public Participation in Local Governments in Hard Times
In the wake of the economic crisis in 2007, many municipal governments faced a variety of financial challenges. Scholars and practitioners call for citizen participation in various parts of government; however, it is unclear how efforts to engage the public can be sustained when municipalities undergo tough financial times. This research explores the impact of internal and external factors—(a) impact of financial crisis, (b) environmental and org…
Air Quality Enhancement Districts: Democratizing data to improve respiratory health
Emigration, population shrinkage and a rationale for local solutions: Lessons for local governments and NGOs
Emigration and population shrinkage are challenges faced in countries and communities throughout the world. Based on a systematic literature analysis of approximately 600 articles, we examine voluntary emigration through the lens of non‐economic factors, establishing a cohesive and coherent view of the literature landscape across disciplines and enabling discussion of how local governments and non‐governmental organizations might respond to emigr…
Building governance infrastructure for a technological and resident network for low-cost neighborhood air quality monitoring
Low-cost air quality sensor networks have gained tremendous popularity in the past decade, and they are increasingly being used for air quality related research and public outreach. They are also being used by different levels of governments as a governance tool to handle the ‘wicked’ problem of ambient air pollution. The smart and trustworthy air quality network is a multi-disciplinary, large-scale, low-cost sensor network designed for air quali…
Volunteers and Law Enforcement in the National Parks: A Typology of Roles and Functions
Volunteers perform multiple functions of law enforcement operations to keep people and property safe. This article identifies and classifies the roles and functions of volunteers serving within the National Park Service in support of law enforcement and protection. Based on an embedded case study project that included interviews with 169 volunteers and park rangers at 22 National Park Service sites, plus service as a volunteer in 3 national park …
Political science (18 works) · Sociology (13 works) · Law (11 works) · Law (11 works) · Public Administration (11 works) · Public Policy and Administration Research (11 works) · Public Administration (10 works) · Public relations (8 works) · Economics (7 works) · Politics (7 works)