Untitled Flashcard Set

What makes public administration 'public'?

Public organizations are distinct because they administer law.

Primary task of public administration

Translating laws into policy.

Politics-Administration Dichotomy

Theory that politicians make policy while administrators implement it without interference.

Why does the Politics-Administration Dichotomy fail in practice?

Administrators help shape policy and the line between formation and implementation is unclear.

Level of government focused on direct service delivery

Local government.

Direct tool of government

State public health running school-based cessation clinics.

Indirect tool: Tax Expenditure

Refundable tax credits (e.g., for age-check technology).

Indirect tool: Contracts

Using private sector experts or outside organizations to do government work.

Indirect tool: Grants

Incentives for state/local governments to act while using their own judgment.

Definition of Accountability

A relationship where one party is responsible to another for their actions.

The 'Gotcha Effect'

Officials being defensive or on guard for fear of being caught making a mistake.

Street-Level Bureaucrats

Frontline employees who implement policy and exercise discretion affecting citizens.

Carl J. Friedrich's argument

Internal checks and professional norms/expertise are critical for accountability.

Herman Finer's argument

Strict regulations and external legal standards are critical for accountability.

VA 'Wait Times' Case

Example where an accountability measure backfired, creating a gotcha effect.

Disadvantage of too much discretion

Might result in not reaching policy goals or questioning democratic legitimacy.

Agency Independence Hierarchy (Least to Most)

Executive Office agencies -> The Cabinet -> Independent agencies.

Original Executive Departments (1789)

State, Defense (War), and Treasury.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Classification

A bureau within the Treasury Department.

Least politically independent agency

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the EOP.

FEMA move to DHS

Reflected a shift in priority toward political responsiveness to executive leadership.

Source of most innovative administrative thinking

Local government.

Administrative Reform: Downsizing

Goal of shrinking the government; 'more with less'.

Administrative Reform: Delivery Framework

Focuses on improving outcomes based on quality performance information.

Advantage of privatizing the TSA

Profit incentives for private companies may enhance efficiency/innovation.

Example of NOT downsizing

New York Police Department Compstat 2.0 (Delivery Framework).

Three components of Civil Service system

Position classification, staffing, and compensation rules.

Position Classification

Process determining expertise, difficulty, and responsibility for a job.

The 'Era of Spoils'

Defining characteristic: Hiring people based on 'who they know'.

Civil Service Reform Act of 1978

Created the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).

Senior Executive Service (SES)

Civil service component that deviates most from merit principles.

Brownlow Committee (1936)

Led to the Reorganization Act of 1939 and the creation of the EOP.

Selin's Two Dimensions of Independence

Independence of decision makers and independence of policy decisions.

Pendleton Act of 1883

Established the first merit system for federal employees.

Hatch Act of 1939

Prohibited federal employees from engaging in political activities on the job.

Government by Proxy

Government providing services through third parties like contractors or nonprofits.

Schedule F

Proposed change to remove civil service protections to increase political responsiveness.

Era of Gentlemen

Early personnel management based on 'who you were' (social status).