Public choice and public sector management

Public sector economics and public sector management should complement one another more than they do. Public sector economists have not fully appreciated the issues of concern to public sector management, whilst those in public sector management have not had sufficient access to public sector economics. This article seeks to explore the relevance of public sector economics for public sector management. It emphasizes the importance of a strong theoretical foundation for management practice and the importance of the public choice perspective for an understanding of public policy and public sector decision‐making.