The concept of regime values: Are revitalization and regime change possible?

Among the plethora of public values, one special class is that of “regime values.” This notion plays a central role in the constitutional approach to public administration mainly developed by the late John A. Rohr. In this article, an attempt is made to assess the viability of Rohr’s concept of regime values and its applicability outside the United States. After brief overviews of the constitutional approach in general and Rohr’s use of the concept of regime values in particular, it is argued that Rohr’s conceptualizations of “regime” and “values” are too narrow and result in ambiguities within the concept of “regime values” itself. The applicability of the concept of “regime values” is unnecessarily affected by the typically American reference points Rohr uses and can best be improved, it is suggested, by treating “regime values” more frankly as an inherently normative concept

On the Role of Values in Social Research: Weber Vindicated?

Weber's proposal that social science should aim to be value neutral is now widely rejected. However, I argue that his position was more sophisticated than is generally recognised, and that it is for the most part sound. Clarification of his position is provided, along with an outline of the reasons why it came to be rejected. I suggest that these are, for the most part, based upon misconceptions. I also demonstrate that there are fundamental problems with any notion of normative sociology, ones that are rarely addressed and have not been resolved