Effective Writing in the Public Sector

John W. Swain has taught public administration courses for more than thirty-five years. He has also provided training to and worked with a wide variety of staff members, administrators, and officials in the public sector. His previously published books focus on public budgeting, public finance administration, and local government. He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire (B.A.) and Northern Illinois University (M.A. and Ph.D.). Kathleen Dolan Swain has been an editor for more than twenty years, working primarily the field of scholarly publishing. She has also worked extensively in the development of curriculum materials and has written news and feature articles for local news outlets. She is a graduate of Marquette University (B.A. in political science and history) and Northern Illinois University (M.A. in political science).

Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1: The Basic Components 1. Essential Preliminary Steps to Effective Writing 2. The Mechanics of Writing: A Refresher Course on the Basic Rules of English 3. Polishing Your Writing: Special Writing Problems in the Public Sector 4. Proofreading Part 2: Basic Forms of Writing in the Public Sector: Public Audiences 5. Memos and Letters 6. E-mail 7. Media Releases and Public Service Announcements 8. Newsletters Part 3: Basic Forms of Writing in the Public Sector: Internal and Technical Audiences 9. Formal Reports 10. Proposals: An Overview 11. Grant Proposals 12. Budget Justifications 13. Rules Appendix A. Troublesome Words and Phrases Appendix B. Documentation Styles Appendix C. Answers to Exercises Notes Annotated Bibliography Index About the Authors