About the Book
This annually updated reader is a compilation of current newspaper, magazine, and journal articles from the best of the public press. Some topics addressed are: dealing with government and organizational behavior, public management practices and information systems technology, along with public finance, budgeting and productivity improvement. Our student web site is designed to add additional support to this title.
Table of Contents:
UNIT 1. Introduction and Overview of Administration1. Time of Turbulence, Astrid E. Merget, Public Administration Review", July/August 2003In this Donald C. Stone lecture, the author describes how recent events such as globalization, 9/11," and technological improvements" have changed the profession of public administration. The big question now is how the public administration profession" reacts to these changes.2. In Memoriam: David O. "Doc #8221; Cooke, Warren Master, The Public Manager", Summer 2002In the summer of 2002, the career federal civil service" lost one of its giants. Doc Cooke was a senior public official" and an influential mentor for more than five decades to hundreds if not thousands of career and noncareer public managers including numerous U.S. secretaries of defense".3. Doc Cooke #8217;s Reflections on Effective Public Management, The Public Manager", Summer 2002Excerpts from Doc Cooke #8217;s reflections on effective public service discuss some of the things that managers can do to promote efficient and effective public management. Especially interesting is the insight that Doc gives us into what makes an effective secretary of defense."4. The Odyssey of Senior Public Service: What Memoirs Can Teach Us, J. Patrick Dobel, Public Administration Review", January/February 2003This article explores the realm of public service through the eyes of senior public officials." The memoirs reveal how senior officials view public service, its impact on their lives, and how they handle the tension between the realities of public service and the ideals they bring to it.UNIT 2. Governmental and Organizational BehaviorPart A. Productivity and Performance5. Predictable Surprises: The Disasters You Should Have Seen Coming, Michael D. Watkins and Max H. Bazerman, Harvard Business Review", March 2003The signs of an impending disaster" often lie all around us, yet we sometimes don #8217;t see them. The authors identify and discuss ways in which managers can do disaster planning" by taking a series of steps #8212;from recognizing the threat to mobilizing the resources to stop it.Part B. Organizational Communication6. Is Silence Killing Your Company?, Leslie Perlow and Stephanie Williams, Harvard Business Review", May 2003We have recently seen in the scandals at Enron, Worldcom, and other companies how silence can lead to disaster." According to the authors, silence can generate feelings of humiliation, anger, and resentment. These feelings, if unexpressed, can contaminate every interaction, shut down creativity, and undermine organizational communication" and productivity.7. Wireless Interoperability: A Key Element of Public Safety, Edwin Daley, Public Management", May 2003Disasters" such as 9/11 and the "sniper #8221; shootings in the Washington, D.C., area require public safety officials to enhance emergency communications" and interoperability," which is the emergency incident responders #8217; ability to communicate directly with and transmit data to other emergency service personnel through mobile radios.Part C. Ethics and Values8. Does Government Need a Sarbanes-Oxley Type Reform Act?, Kevin M. Bronner, PA Times", April 2003What reaction, should the federal government have to Enron"? The author reviews the need for upgraded accounting standards" and regulations through the establishment of reform legislation, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that regulates private companies through the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC).9. Underestimating Costs in Public Works Projects: Error or Lie?, Bent Flyvbjerg, Mette Skamris Holm, and Soren Buhl, Journal of the American Planning Association", Summer 2002Through a series of surveys, the authors have determined that cost estimates" for public works projects" are consistently underestimated as well as highly and systematically misleading. The authors warn that legislators, administrators, investors, and anyone else who values honest numbers should not trust cost estimates and cost-benefit analysis produced by project promoters and their analysts.10. Roadblocks in Reforming Corrupt Agencies: The Case of the New York City School Custodians, Lydia Segal, Public Administration Review", July/August 2002Reformers have traditionally assumed that agencies can combat corruption" through tighter financial and auditing controls." This case study shows how a corrupt agency can derail these devices. According to the author, true reform requires strategies like overhauling management, eradicating special interests, and aggressively punishing misconduct.UNIT 3. Human Resources Administration11. Is Your Performance Evaluation Fair for All?, Katy Mohler Fodchuk, The Public Manager", Summer 2002The author reviews the performance evaluation" process in the United States and compares it with the performance evaluation process in France. In addition, this comparative public administration" article suggests methods for incorporating fairness into a performance evaluation instrument.12. Preventing Workplace Harassment: A Fact Sheet for Employees, Bureau of National Affairs", 2003This fact sheet provides a definition of sexual" and other workplace harassment," identifies employee responsibilities for preventing harassment, and outlines a chronology of the development of workplace harassment laws.13. Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Workplace: An Overview and Practical Guide for Cities, Omniah Ebeid, Texas Town & City", January 2003This paper provides an overview of the laws regarding drug-testing" policies and progams and outlines a practical guide for public sector employers to follow in enacting or amending current drug-testing policies and procedures to make them consistent with laws such as the Americans With Disabilities (ADA) Act."14. Double-Dip Dilemma, Anya Sostek, Governing", July 2003State legislatures are continuing to pass return-to-work or "retire-rehire #8221; laws. This article explores the benefits and disadvantages of "double-dipping" #8221; or allowing public employees who have retired and are collecting a pension to return to work and draw a salary.UNIT 4. Finance and Budgeting15. Dealing With Uncertain Budget Forecasts, Rudolph G. Penner, Public Budgeting & Finance", Spring 2002This review by Rudolph Penner of the history of past budget forecasts by the Congressional Budget Office" (CBO) finds that the budget forecasts" have been extremely inaccurate due to errors in the choice of economic and technical assumptions. Errors grow rapidly as the projection #8217;s period is lengthened. Penner concludes that the projections are unlikely to get better soon and suggests that projections made for more than 5 years be deemphasized by policy and decision makers.16. How Congress Divides Our Money, Chuck Lindell, Austin American-Statesman", September 29, 2002Chuck Lindell reviews how congressional power players divide up the dollars. According to Lindell, the appropriations game" involves instinct, timing, and good friends. Only one-third of the $2.2 trillion federal budget gets doled out by Congress. The rest is mandatory spending for interest on the federal debt and on entitlement programs" such as Social Security and Medicare.17. City of Austin #8217;s Budget Crisis, Stephen Scheibal, Austin American-Statesman", June 23, 2003Pretend you have to cut $29 million from the city of Austin #8217;s budget. How are you going to solve the city #8217;s budget shortfall"? Cities across the country are in fiscal stress" and are dealing with similar problems and issues.18. The Budget Game, Austin American-Statesman", April 22, 2003Here is your chance to play state lawmaker to eliminate the potential financial deficit" and close the budget shortfall." Your goal: Bridge the projected $9.9 billion gap between the state #8217;s expected revenue and what the state must spend to maintain existing costs. But watch out. Every move comes with a political cost.19. Deferrals: Gimmick or Usual Budget Math?, Gary Susswein, Austin American-Statesman", May 5, 2003Here are some fiscal tricks by which state and local governments try to overcome fiscal stress" and cover budget deficits."UNIT 5. Technology and Information Systems20. "Smart #8221; Government Online, Not Inline, Breena E. Coates, The Public Manager", Winter 2001 #8211;02This article reviews the impact that information technology" will have on the e-haves and e-have nots of society. In addition, commenting on the digital divide," author Breena Coates explores public policy concerns such as privacy rights," e-security, and e-commerce.21. All Rise (and Power On), Sherri Day, New York Times", May 29, 2003Technology has reinvented the courtroom and the legal and judicial system." PowerPoint presentations, videoconferencing, and other technological advances have helped to improve and speed up courtroom proceedings.22. The Price of Progress?, Tod Newcombe, Government Technology", January 2003Tod Newcombe explores the improvements in technology in government but also notes that these improvements come with increased problems for employee health." Solutions to worker health issues include ergonomic design" of equipment and voice-recognition software systems.23. Doing the Right Thing, Abhijeet Chavan and Chris Steins, Planning", July 2003Web accessibility" is not just a legal requirement under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)"; it is also a smart strategy for everyone to follow. The authors provide tips on how to make your Web site accessible for persons with disabilities.24. Wi-Fi Anxiety, Christopher Swope, Governing", March 2003Computer security" is not an easy task, especially when we are talking about wireless computer security." This article provides information and tips on how to keep intruders outside of your system.UNIT 6. Public Policy, Planning, Intergovernmental Relations, and the LawPart A. Public Policy25. The Twin Challenges That Immigration Brings to Public Administrators, Alexander Franco, PA Times", February 2003In the United States today there are more than 33 million documented and undocumented immigrants. Of the long-term challenges to public administrators who deal with immigration policy," one is correcting existing flaws within the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS)." A second challenge is how to assist the public service infrastructures within immigrant host communities that are currently experiencing fiscal and economic stress.26. Deadly Strains, Christopher Conte, Governing", June 2003SARS, West Nile virus, and bioterrorism are the big scares, but the greatest threat is the gradual erosion of public health services" and health budgets" at the state and local levels. The infrastructure" for public health services is slowly falling apart due to overuse of services and decline of funds from all levels of government.27. Winning the Water Wars, Elaine Robbins, Planning", June 2003In the West they say that water flows uphill to the money. Because water is such a scarce resource, cities are facing water conflicts" as they work to develop water policies" to meet their future needs. Water planning" is a must if cities are to solve their resource management problems.Part B. Community and Environmental Planning28. A Mighty Wind, Elinor Burkett, New York Times Magazine", June 15, 2003Alternative energy" sources such as wind power" are the hope for the future for environmental planners. What happens when a wind farm is planned for Cape Cod? A clash of values erupts between environmentalist planners" who want a wind farm to be built and conservationists" who say that the visual pollution that would result from such a project is unacceptable. It #8217;s all a matter of trade-offs!29. Like Go-Go 1990s, Smart Growth #8217;s Time Had Passed, Jonathan Osborne and Stephen Scheibal, Austin American-Statesman", June 22, 2003Smart growth" was an environmental planning" team developed in the early 1990s. The purpose of the program was to encourage intelligent development within an urban area. In Austin, Texas, it fell victim to a faltering economy and the "high tech #8221; bust.30. Tucson Fire Department #8217;s MMRS Exercise: A Bioterrorism Response Plan, Les Caid, Public Management", July 2003The city of Tucson conducted the nation #8217;s first large-scale exercise to test the city #8217;s emergency response" and emergency preparedness" in the event of a disaster" or bioterrorist attack. The article discusses the observations and the lessons learned from this bioterrorism exercise.31. How to Make Transit-Oriented Development Work, Jeffrey Tumlin and Adam Millard-Ball, Planning", May 2003Transit-oriented development" seeks to improve the urban environment by promoting more compact development, less automobile dependence, and an improved quality of life. According to the authors, density and land use" considerations are the key to successful transit-oriented development in an urban area.Part C. Intergovernmental Relations and Public Law32. The U.S. Supreme Court #8217;s New Federalism and Its Impact on Antidiscrimination Legislation, Norma M. Riccucci, Review of Public Personnel Administration", March 2003In recent years, the U.S. Supreme Court has developed a new federalism" policy that has reduced the powers of Congress in favor of states #8217; rights. This article addresses the implications of the Supreme Court #8217;s new federalism policy for the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)" of 1990 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967 as amended.33. TEA Time in Washington, Jason Jordan, Planning", May 2003The landmark legislation for surface transportation planning" in the United States is the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, which is called ISTEA" (say "ice-tea #8221;). This legislation is scheduled for reauthorization. For smart growth" proponents throughout the country, ISTEA reauthorization may be the most important piece of federal legislation facing Congress today.UNIT 7. International and Comparative Public Administration and Policy34. How the Dutch Do Housing, Jane Holtz Kay, Planning", February 2003National planning, not just for housing" but also for the conservation of water, land, infrastructure, and forests is essential to Holland #8217;s existence and accounts for its progressive reputation. According to the author, the Netherlands does have something to offer to other countries in the way of excellent planning" practices.35. Water Tap Often Shut to South Africa Poor, Ginger Thompson, New York Times", May 29, 2003Democracy has come to South Africa." However, the country has a long way to go. According to the author, local governments are not delivering adequate water and utility services to the population. Privatization" has also created a special set of problems. Access to utility services is limited by the ability to pay.36. England Tests e-Voting, Shane Peterson, Government Technology", November 2002England" has conducted a series of pilot tests using E-voting" over the Internet." According to the author, the results have been successful.37. Reforming Ghana #8217;s Public Service: Issues and Experiences in Comparative Perspective, Peter Fuseini Haruna, Public Administration Review", May/June 2003This article addresses how the public service can be reformed to make it relevant to the circumstances and useful to the majority of the people living and working in Ghana." Peter Fuseini Haruna summarizes and evaluates Ghana #8217;s reform efforts" and compares them to mainstream Anglo-American reform ideas in order to provide a better understanding of comparative public administration."38. Outcome-Focused Management in New Zealand, Andrew Kibblewhite and Chris Ussher, OECD Journal of Budgeting", 2002This article discusses the uses of outcomes" in public sector management in New Zealand." The authors describe the overall management system within which governments operate, and how outcomes are used within the system.
