Herbert Simon's Legacy for Public Administration

ABSTRACT Herbert Simon's pioneering developments on bounded rationality and artificial intelligence (AI) have had a profound and lasting impact on public administration. This paper systematically examines Simon's legacy, exploring how his concepts have shaped scholarship in three core areas: decision‐making, human performance, and organizational knowledge. By connecting Simon's insights into contemporary advancements in AI, we highlight several avenues for further research. We uncover opportunities to enhance administrative processes while addressing pressing ethical and operational challenges, such as designing adaptive frameworks that balance innovation with accountability in public administration. Simon's work continues to offer essential guidance for navigating the complexities of governance in the digital age.