Simon’s Behavior and Waldo’s Public

Abstract

Most research in behavioral public administration (BPA) focuses on the micro or individual level outcomes.  This article argues that BPA should recognize the importance of social interactions as both an outcome of interest and an outcome that can be explored within a BPA framework.  We present the Affect, Behavior, Cognition and Social Interaction (ABCS) model and call on researchers to study not just social interactions from the lens of BPA, but also study the linking mechanisms of affect, behavior, and cognition. We also examine the importance of public for public administration theory, and we discuss advances in research methods that allow BPA to further examine the public through social interactions. In the conclusion, we call on further research of the ABCS model, its limitations, and the need for an expanded research agenda in BPA with a focus on the public and social interactions.