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. GA Code § 40-6-184 (2024);The GA Slow Poke Law. Woodrow Wilson's "The Study of Administration" (1887);Argued PA can develop universal principles separate from political objectives. Politics-Administration Dichotomy (Meaning);Theory that politicians make policy while administrators implement it without interference. Why the dichotomy fails 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 govts 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. Privatizing the TSA;Advantage: 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).