Name: A History of the American Nonprofit Sector
SKU: 1-0364-0523-0
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A History of the American Nonprofit Sector

The Rise and Professionalization of Doing Good

By: Mordecai Lee

From £36.99

This history of the American nonprofit sector covers its independence in a seminal 19th-century Supreme Court decision, its 20th-century professionalization, and modern challenges like lobbying. It also analyzes nonprofits in pop culture. A key text for researchers and students.

This book presents a history of the American nonprofit sector. It covers the seminal 1819 Supreme Court decision that Dartmouth College was a private nonprofit…

This book presents a history of the American nonprofit sector. It covers the seminal 1819 Supreme Court decision that Dartmouth College was a private nonprofit corporation and therefore independent of government control. The rise of the sector in the twentieth century is presented through exemplars of four different kinds of nonprofits, efforts at professionalization, and early initiatives in management training. During the twenty-first century, external communication has become central for nonprofits, including lobbying and public reporting. In a more light-hearted vein, the image of American nonprofits in pop culture is analyzed through their depiction in movies.

The book’s subject matter is at the intersection of multiple academic fields, including nonprofit studies, nonprofit management, American history, political science, management history, business administration, public administration, and organization theory. It can be used as a textbook, by advanced researchers, and by academic libraries interested in the American nonprofit sector or in US history.

Mordecai Lee is Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA, where he taught courses in nonprofit management. His research interest in American nonprofits and their history resulted in two books, 15 articles in scholarly journals, and an encyclopedia entry. Lee received a PhD from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, USA. Before joining the academy, he had careers in politics and the nonprofit sector. He was legislative assistant to a Member of Congress in Washington, DC, and then elected to the Wisconsin State Legislature for five terms. After leaving politics voluntarily, he was executive director of a faith-based nonprofit in Wisconsin. He started his academic career in 1997. His other academic interests are government public relations and public administration. Cambridge Scholars Publishing has published books on each of those subjects: The Emergence and Scope of the Voice of Government and A History of Public Administration in the United States: The Rise of American Bureaucracy.

Hardback

ISBN: 1-0364-0523-0
ISBN13: 978-1-0364-0523-6
Date of Publication: 2024-07-04

Paperback

ISBN: 1-0364-4632-8
ISBN13: 978-1-0364-4632-1
Date of Publication: 2025-03-31

Ebook

ISBN: 1-0364-0524-9
ISBN13: 978-1-0364-0524-3
Date of Publication: 2025-03-31

Categories: Social Sciences, Sociology, Sociology, Politics, History

Pages: 358

Subject Codes:

BIC: JKSN1, JPWH, HBLW
THEMA: JKSN1(3MP), JPWH, NH

Pages: 358

"History is constantly being made but too often we forget to look back when addressing current issues. Mordecai Lee does not let us do that in nonprofit management or public administration more broadly. His work reminds us of ‘how we got here’ which is critical to understanding the present and the future. Through rich exploration of our past, he invites today’s scholars on a journey through our field’s history and through that exploration, scholars can then place their own work along the timeline of our field."
- Alicia Schatteman Professor of nonprofit management and public administration, Northern Illinois University, USA

Meet The Author

Mordecai Lee

The Fraught Balance of Politics and Bureaucrats in American Public Service

By: Mordecai Lee

£69.99

A historic tension defines American governance: the clash between presidents and the permanent, apolitical civil service. This book traces this power struggle from its origins to its explosive crisis during the Trump administration, exploring the future of the state.

A History of Government Public Relations in the United States

By: Mordecai Lee

£78.99

This book presents a history of public relations in the American government. Unlike in business, government PR is driven by a democratic obligation for transparency. It emerged in the Progressive era, evolved under FDR, and continues to adapt to new media and technologies.

Congress Wrestling with the Rise of the Administrative State During the 20th Century

By: Mordecai Lee

£77.99

The 20th century’s tectonic events created “big government.” As the bureaucracy grew, Congress fought for control. Now, conservatives challenge this “administrative state,” arguing it has too much power. This book provides the history behind this crucial modern debate.

A History of Public Administration in the United States

The Rise of American Bureaucracy

By: Mordecai Lee

From £43.99

This book examines the emergence of American public administration. As a history of American bureaucracy, it focuses on pivotal events, highlighting major controversies including the field’s anti-democratic origins, Congressional hostility, and early limits on the role of women.

The Emergence and Scope of the Voice of Government

Propaganda, Civic Information, or Both?

By: Mordecai Lee

From £41.99

When government agencies communicate with us, are we getting self-serving propaganda or helpful information? This book examines the intersection of bureaucracy and propaganda, from wartime PR to presidential case studies and the pop culture image of government spokespersons.

A History of the American Nonprofit Sector

Hardback

Paperback

Ebook

Subject Codes:

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Meet The Author