Public Administration: An Introduction

503 Pages·2011·7.43 MB·English

by  Marc Holzer

Public Administration:
An Introduction
Marc Holzer, PhD
Dean and Board of Governors Professor
School of Public Affairs and Administration
Rutgers University – Newark, New Jersey
Richard W. Schwester, PhD
Associate Professor
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
The City University of New York (CUNY)
RO Routledge
U
TLED Taylor & Francis Group
G
E
LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published 2011 by M.E. Sharpe
Published 2015 by Routledg e
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Copyright © 2011 Taylor & Francis. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by
any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publis hers.
Notices
No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or dam age to
persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or oth erwise,
or from any use of operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas
contained in the material here in.
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experien ce and
knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compou nds, or
experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they s hould
be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including par ties for
whom they have a professional responsibi lity.
Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademark s, and
are used only for identification and explanation without intent to inf ringe.
While every effort was made to contact copyright holders of the materials
printed here, we apologize for any inadvertent omissions. If acknowledgement
is missing, it would be appreciated if the publisher were contacted
so that this can be rectified in any future edition.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Holzer, Marc.
Public administration : an introduction / by Marc Holzer and Richard W. Schwester.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978–0–7656–2120–7 (pbk)
1. Public administration. 2. Public administration—Decision making. 3. Policy
sciences. I. Schwester, Richard Wilmot, 1977– II. Title.
JF1351.H65 2011
351—dc22 2010040045
About the Authors
Marc Holzer
Dean Holzer (MPA, PhD University of Michigan) is Dean of
the School of Public Affairs and Administration, and Board of
Governors Professor of Public Affairs and Administration,
at Rutgers University's Newark Campus. He is a Fellow of
the National Academy of Public Administration and a Past
President of the American Society of Public Administration.
Since 1975, he has directed the National Center for Public
Performance, and he is the founder and editor-in-chief of the
journals Public Performance and Management Reviewand Public Voices, and is the
co-founder/co-editor of the Chinese Public Administration Review. He has also
recently founded the Public Performance Measurement and Reporting Network. His
research, service, and teaching has been honored by awards from the National
Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration, the American Society
of Public Administration, and the Chinese Public Administration Society. He has
published well over one hundred books, monographs, chapters and articles.
Richard W. Schwester
Professor Schwester (MA, PhD Rutgers University) is an
Associate Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at
the City University of New York. His research interests include
the use of technology in government, e-government, prison
privatization, critical incidents, and inter-local shared serv-
ices. Some of Professor Schwester’s most recent work appears
in Public Budgeting and Finance, Public Performance and
Management Review, Public Administration Quarterly,
International Journal of Public Administration, and the International Journal of
Organization Theory and Behavior.
Public Administration: An Introduction iii
PREFACE
We have written a textbook that is distinct from the dozens of public administration
texts now in the academic marketplace. Our vision is a unique blend of substance
and style—a text that is both informative and enlivening, capturing the evolving na-
ture of the field.
A unique aspect of this volume vis-à-vis other textbooks is the extensive use of
visuals. Artwork depicts bureaucratic issues, reinforcing each chapter’s themes
and creating an informative and aesthetically engaging textbook. Charts, graphs,
diagrams, and illustrations add dimensions to the text’s overviews of public
administration.
Of course, this text covers the traditional, essential elements of public administra-
tion such as organizational theory, human resource management, leadership, pro-
gram evaluation, budgeting, and the politics of public administration. But it strives
to do so in a contemporary way, addressing, for example, the changing role of in-
tergovernmental relations in Chapter 6, including the federalist structure as well
as interlocal shared services and regional consolidation initiatives.
Public performance is treated as an indispensable subfield of public administra-
tion. Chapter 7 is devoted to performance-related topics such as knowledge shar-
ing and training, total quality management, performance measurement, and the
social aspects of organizational performance. Although these topics may be present
throughout traditional texts, they are usually scattered over several chapters, un-
deremphasizing the importance of public performance. Given the current economic
climate, a focus on efficiency and effectiveness is increasingly important in the field
of public administration.
The emergence of e-government and the growing role of technology in public ad-
ministration are introduced in Chapter 12. Technology has and will continue to
change the way we interact and transact business with government on a daily
basis. This chapter delves into emerging technologies of knowledge management,
Geospatial Information Systems (GIS), the use of Internet applications as par-
ticipatory and service delivery media, 311 call centers, and computer mapping
programs.
As a departure from the more orthodox model typical of other texts, Chapter 13 of
this book examines the field of public administration and public service through
the lens of popular culture. Countering the all-too-common image of bumbling bu-
reaucrats, this chapter demonstrates that dedicated public servants add a great deal
of value to the services government has promised its citizens. This chapter also pro-
vides helpful resources for people interested in engaging with government and pro-
fessional networks that address critical quality-of-life issues.
iv PREFACE
Each chapter is complemented by key terms and supplementary readings. Beyond
those “standard” resources that are present in any introductory text, video cases
and simulations offer a gateway to engaging students, encouraging them to im-
merse themselves in virtual problem solving experiences—testing theory and skills
through real-time practical applications. Students are challenged to evaluate the
actions and decisions of public administrators and elected officials based on the
theoretical models and best practices provided in the specific chapter. These cases
focus on single and multisector issues that allow for the best collaborative thinking
of those students evaluating the problem. The simulations, also tailored to each
chapter topic, offer students a place to apply theory to practice in a decision-
making role rather than in an evaluative one as is with the case studies. Students
will deal with issues related to unemployment, budgeting, the environment, crime,
and education. These computer- and Internet-based learning tools allow students
to test their decision-making skills and to evaluate the results of those decisions in
a pure learning environment—applying theory to practice. All of the electronic re-
sources are free to the user—avoiding additional costs to students and represent-
ing a sample of similarly accessible resources on the Web, YouTube, and other
media outlets.
This text, then, is very much a dynamic learning system rather than a static vol-
ume. We expect that it will not only enliven the teaching of public administration
but will markedly improve the learning experience and help motivate students of
public service to become problem-solving public servants.
Our thanks to the team that helped us construct this text and whose research
and critiques improved it immensely: Dan Bromberg, Peter Hoontis, Iryna
Illiash, Jyldyz Kasymova, Anna Bolette Lind-Valdan, Emily Michaud, Yetunde
Odugbesan, and Ginger Swiston.
This book could not have been completed without the assistance of a number of
dedicated individuals. In particular, we wish to thank Harry Briggs, Elizabeth
Granda, Angela Piliouras, Stacey Victor, and Jim Wright.
Public Administration: An Introduction v
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
Public Administration:
An Indispensable Part of Society . . . . . . . . 2
Government Requires Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
What Do We Get for All of These Resources?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
How Government Is Organized to Deliver Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
How Government Serves Others. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
What, Then, Is Public Administration?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Key Terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Supplementary Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Electronic Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Case Studies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
CHAPTER 2
Organizational Theory
and Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Theories of Managerial Efficiency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
The Classical Management Movement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
The Neo-Classical School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
The Human Side of Organizational Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Contemporary Organizational Theories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
vi TABLE OF CONTENTS
Structural Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Systems Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
W. Edwards Deming and Japanese Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Organizational Economic Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Organizational Culture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
National Performance Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Key Terms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Supplementary Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Electronic Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
CHAPTER 3
Managing Human Resources. . . . . . . . . . . 84
Human Resources Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Productive Human Resource Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Cultivating and Maintaining a High-Quality Diverse Workforce . . . . . . . 91
Creating a Quality Work Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Key Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Supplementary Readings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Electronic Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
CHAPTER 4
Public Decision Making. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
How Decisions Are Made . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
The Nature of Decision Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Theoretical Models of Decision Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Dysfunctions in Decision Making. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Key Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Public Administration: An Introduction vii
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Supplementary Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Electronic Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
CHAPTER 5
Politics and Public Administration . . . . 172
The Intersection of Politics and Administration . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Reform and Neutrality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
The Reality of Bureaucratic Politics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Checking Bureaucratic Discretion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Key Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Supplementary Readings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Electronic Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Case Citations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
CHAPTER 6
Intergovernmental Relations. . . . . . . . . . 198
The Layers of Government. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
The Idea of Federalism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Interlocal Shared Government. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Improving Performance via Intragovernmental
and Intergovernmental Competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Key Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Supplementary Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Electronic Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
viii TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 7
Public Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Improving Government Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
The Importance of Knowledge Sharing and Training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Total Quality Management: Customer Focus
and Responsive Public Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Issues in Organizational Responsiveness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Measuring Performance to Improve Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
The Role of Privatization in Government Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Key Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Supplementary Readings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Electronic Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
CHAPTER 8
Program Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
What is Program Evaluation?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
How to Collect Empirical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Conducting Evaluations and the Importance of Stakeholders. . . . . . . 266
Ethical Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Key Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Supplementary Readings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Electronic Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
CHAPTER 9
Public Budgeting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Budgeting Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Public Administration: An Introduction ix