Trends and Intellectual Structure of The Politics-Administration Dichotomy: A Bibliometric Study Based on Web of Science Data

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Karataş A.

REVISTA DE INVESTIGACIONES POLITICAS Y SOCIOLOGICAS, cilt.25, sa.1, 2026 (ESCI)

Özet

This study investigates the intellectual structure, thematic evolution, and publication trends of the politics-administration dichotomy in public administration scholarship. Analyzing 190 Web-of-Science publications through bibliometric and science mapping methods using VOSviewer, co-citation, bibliographic coupling, and keyword co-occurrence analyses identified key authors, journals, and research clusters. Three dominant theoretical orientations-separation, integration, and complementary models-emerged, anchored by seminal works of Wilson, Goodnow, Appleby, Simon, Waldo, and Svara. Public Administration Review and The American Review of Public Administration were identified as central venues shaping the debate. Geographic analyses reveal distinct yet interconnected scholarly traditions in the United States, Europe and beyond. Keyword mapping highlights emerging concepts, including the "purple zone" bridging politics and administration. The study offers a theoretical synthesis and practical reference, demonstrating that the politics-administration dichotomy remains a productive conceptual framework. Findings inform journal selection, curriculum design, and future research on the evolving relationship between politics and administration.

Keywords: Politics-Administration Dichotomy, Public Administration Theory, Science mapping, Bibliometric analysis