Public Administration and Society

PPD 540-- Burke

Fall 2007, Sacramento Page - 1

University of Southern California

School of Policy, Planning and Development

State Capital Center, 1800 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814-3004

PPD 540 Public Administration and Society

Class Meetings: Sept. 6-9 & Oct. 4-7

Course Description: Administrative concepts, institutions, legal systems, and practices; values; facilitation of responsibilities and rights; professional applications for personal, private sector and public achievement.

Instructor:Catherine G. Burke, Associate Professor

Office: Lewis Hall 224

Phone: (213) 740-0351 Fax: (626) 573-0867

e-mail:

Purpose of the Course: To introduce you to the field of Public Administration by providing a broad overview of both the profession (for the practitioner – the management of complex organizations in a political environment) and the academic discipline (for the scholar – formulating and testing theory). In addition to an overview of the field, this course should set a context for you to think about yourself as a student who is, or wishes to become, a career civil servant, non-profit manager, political appointee or private sector manager working with governments and the public.

Organization of the Course:

The intensive semester has been developed by the University of Southern California to meet the special needs of working adults. The course schedule indicates how it works. Some work is done prior to the start of class meetings, and all of you will have an opportunity to work outside of class on matters of immediate concern to you.

August 1 – September 5: Preparation for first class session.

Sept. 6 – Sept. 9: Class meets Thursday through Sunday, 9:00am to 5:00pm.

Sept. 10 – Oct. 3: Prepare for the second four days of class.

Oct. 4 – Oct. 7: Class meets Thursday through Sunday, 9:00am to 5:00pm.

Oct. 8 – Nov. 2: Complete term paper due on Nov. 15.

Such a concentrated approach to classes works well when everyone does the preparatory reading and written exercises so we all have a common basis of knowledge that informs our thinking. Individual experiences and perspectives from your employment work will be an important part of class discussions.

Why Public Administration?

Public administrators provide the glue that holds civilized societies together. For all our complaints about “damn bureaucrats,” the absence of competent and honest public administrators leads to the strong abusing the weak, the facilities of society – roads, bridges, water and electricity supplies – deteriorating or disappearing, and eventually you get the anarchy that comes when thugs with guns run the society.

Public administration is important because society is important. Working in this field allows one to deal with the big issues of one’s time, and perhaps, if one is both good and lucky, to make a significant contribution to the well being of all. Oliver Wendell Holmes may have said it best in 1884. “I think that, as life is action and passion, it is required of a man that he should share the passion and action of his time at peril of being judged not to have lived.”

The key to understanding Public Administration is to realize it is a large, sprawling and complex area of study that takes in many disciplines – political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, organizational studies and others. Public administrators manage many occupational groups and professions – engineers, planners, police, firefighters, biologists, forest rangers, astronauts, lawyers – virtually every profession we know today.

It is, as Dwight Waldo said, a field more like medicine where many disciplines are used to focus on particular issues. Also like medicine there is a research side undertaken largely by academics trying to know and to understand phenomena, and there is a “doing” side where practitioners must act even in the face of inadequate information and uncertainty. In the MPA program at USC we attempt to teach both the perspective of the observer (theory and data) and the perspective of the doer (action).

In Public Administration the problems and opportunities have to do with serving public purposes in ways that are constitutional, competent, equitable, effective, efficient and honest. These purposes can range over many fields of study -- planning communities, building roads and bridges, protecting life and property, administering hospitals and other health facilities, providing and allocating clean water and getting rid of dirty water and trash, managing ports and airports, managing museums and other arts facilities, purchasing weapons systems, managing prisons, superintending educational institutions, collecting taxes, managing voluntary and non-profit institutions, managing state and national forests and parks, life-guarding at beaches and pools, creating and operating urban parks and recreational facilities, and on and on.

Public administrators not only provide services, they also regulate behavior, respond to problems as they arise, help to resolve conflicts (though this is ultimately done by the courts where administrators also work) and make decisions that affect the quality of all our lives. No introductory course can cover the whole field, but it can, if we all work intelligently together, give you an overview of the key institutions and language. It can also help to sharpen your thinking and your written and oral skills.

Course Goals:

1. To develop excellent critical thinking skills and demonstrate them in your writing and speaking.

1. To introduce the academic discipline of Public Administration as a means of clarifying, organizing and understanding your experiences in public administration and management.

1. To introduce the University of Southern California and the School of Policy, Planning and Development.

1. To prepare you for future graduate level education

1. To provide you with greater insight into the learning process and your own special strengths and weaknesses as learners. This should allow you to keep up with the continuous learning needed in today’s rapidly changing world. Public administration professionals must be able to learn effectively from on-the-job experience as well as in the classroom.

1. To introduce the concepts and vocabulary of Public Administration to give students a common basis for communication and intellectual growth.

1. To provide a solid grounding in liberal democratic theory upon which this country was founded and through which public administration must be practiced. An understanding of the founding, the Constitutional underpinning and the institutions of this nation will provide you with a foundation upon which you may base your understanding of the scope of US public administration. To understand how theories of democracy affect the legitimacy of public administration.

1. To provide you with an opportunity to develop an explicit and articulated value framework – one that will evolve over time, but which at any given time, provides a basis for the exercise of discretion required of public employees. This will include consideration of the ethical dilemmas that arise in a public work setting.

1. To consider the idea of “The Public Interest” – its meanings to citizens and to administrators and its significance today. The influence of prevailing social values in changing the roles of public administrators as they strive to achieve societal objectives.

1. To consider some of the major issues of government in our time and some projections of how choices we make today will lead to differing alternative futures.

At the conclusion of the course you should be able to:

1. Use the “elements of thought” and the “universal intellectual standards” to assess what you read, hear and experience on the job, in the classroom, via the media and in general conversation. You will be well on your way to develop what Ernest Hemingway said was essential for a great writer (and, my addition, a great public administrator), “an infallible crap detector.”

1. Better understand the graduate level curriculum of the USC School of Policy, Planning and Development. Whether you intend to go into public life in government, a non-profit organization or in business, you should be able to plan and execute a useful academic program based on some knowledge and understanding of what Public Administration is all about.

1. Function more effectively as an independent learner both in the class setting and in your working life. Understand the three types of questions and the bases for answering them – questions answered by facts, questions requiring reasoning, questions of subjective belief.

1. Know and be able to use correctly some of the key concepts and terms of Public Administration.

1. Analyze the issues, problems and opportunities that have impact on the practice of public administration – the social, economic, technical, political and intellectual forces that have impact on public and non-profit agencies.

1. Articulate, analyze and make decisions regarding ethical dilemmas inherent in public service.

Getting Started:

1. Order the booklet from the Foundation for Critical Thinking.

“How to Study and Learn a Discipline” should help you organize your approach to this field.

1. Pick up the booklet “Critical Thinking” from Paul Danczyk at the Sacramento Center. (free)

1. Join the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). This is the premier professional association in our field. Depending upon where you choose to specialize, there will be other associations to join, but that is for later. A membership in ASPA will give you access to the entire archive of Public Administration Review that we will use during this course. It also gives you access to a lot more material that will be of interest to you. You can join on line at at the student rate.

1. Read through the syllabus and then start reading the chapters and articles recommended. If you have already read any assigned material find other material on the same topic and be prepared to report back to the class on what you have found.

Learning Methods:

Experience suggests that the level of knowledge in regard to Public Administration in this class will vary greatly. Your knowledge and your experience, however narrow or broad will be of great value to the class and to your instructor in the pursuit of knowledge, understanding and the ability to apply ideas to practical issues. In an MPA class you should expect your contributions to be voluntary, numerous, concise and valuable to the course.

As you will learn from the booklet “How to Study and Learn a Discipline,” asking questions is a primary means of engaging a subject. Such questions about anything related to this field, your readings or your experiences, are highly valued by the instructor and will be valued by your fellow students. Occasionally a student is afraid that he or she will look stupid if they ask a particular question. No one who knows anything will find a question stupid, only ignorant people believe a question is stupid (and that is why they remain ignorant).

Some of the material is difficult, so if you don’t have questions, I will wonder if you have read and understood it. Also, if you are puzzled, neither I, nor your fellow students, can help resolve the puzzle if we don’t know what it is.

At this stage of your academic career, you have probably developed ways of learning that you find most comfortable and productive. You should continue to use learning methods you have found to be productive, but in this class I may ask you to step outside your comfort zone. The emphasis throughout the class will be on actively developing your thinking skills. Everything we do in the class will be designed to help you become better and better at thinking within the subject of Public Administration.

You will not be asked to memorize information, but be asked to internalize information by using it actively in class and in your assignments. Everything I ask you to do will be an attempt to improve your thinking. As Paul and Elder say, “Think of learning about thinking [in Public Administration] as you would of learning a sport. To play tennis you must first learn the fundamentals . . . and then practice those fundamentals during every practice session.”

We’ll begin the class with the fundamentals of sound thinking as found in the booklet, “Critical Thinking,” and then I’ll ask you to practice them in your work outside and inside of class. Public administration is a vital field for the survival of our country and our civilization. The quality of every decision you make will be directly determined by the quality of your reasoning abilities. Paul and Elder argue, “ . . . the quality of your life in general will be determined by how well you think in general.”

My expectations are that you will read the material recommended (and other material which interests you); that you will come to class prepared to discuss what you have read and to ask questions; that you will have prepared any written assignment for that session and be prepared to discuss it as well; that you will try to relate what you read and what we discuss to your experience as an administrator to see where it helps to explain your experience or where it seems to differ from your experience.

Class time will be spent honing your thinking skills as you interact with the field of Public Administration. Your individual experiences in organizations and with public administration will be highly relevant to these discussions.

To the extent it is feasible (and it is more feasible in the second half of the class), I will try to adapt class time to meet your needs as expressed in your first short biographical paper and during class introductions on the first day of class. As far as is possible, within the constraints of University and School requirements, I will try to tailor the course content to individual needs and interests.

“Learn from the mistakes of others; you can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” (Attributed to Mark Twain)

Blackboard -- Course Management System: The syllabus, all the course readings (except for books) and assignments will be found there. Whether or not you have used such a system before, I think you will find it convenient since most of the course material will be available on line and can be retrieved from any computer. It also offers a way for all of us to keep in touch via discussion boards and e-mail.

Web Site

Helping Each Other:

In the working world and in community life, no one can know everything. We all need help from time to time, and we are all able to give help from time to time. Traditionally in schools, students are expected to work on their own -- helping others is usually condemned as cheating. In this class I define cheating differently. Cheating is refusing to help someone who needs help. (You don’t have to allow someone to be a leech, where you do all the work, but be reasonable.)

We'll discuss this in class to clarify any questions you have. Being helpful to others is part of good citizenship and good professional practice. You are encouraged to help each other through discussions, questions and critiquing each other’s work. You can communicate by e-mail to one person, a small group if you ask me to set one up, or the entire class through the Blackboard system.

Note: Helping yourself to other people's work from the Internet or without proper citation, otherwise known as plagiarism, is unacceptable. The University penalty for plagiarism is an F in the course. See “On Documentation” in Course Documents on Blackboard.

Course Readings: Booksthat have been ordered for purchase. Discount and Internet stores may carry some of these books at lower prices. You don’t have to buy any of these books if you can find them at a local library.

Cooper, Phillip J. and Newland, Chester A., Handbook of Public Law and Administration. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 1997 ISBN: I0787909300

(This is a more expensive book, but worthwhile as a long-term reference if you can afford it. If not, copies are available to read required chapters with Paul Danczyk. Less expensive copies are available at Amazon.com)

Mosher, Frederick, Democracy and the Public Service. New York: Oxford University Press, 1982. ISBN: 0195030184

O'Connell, Brian, Civil Society: The Underpinnings of American Democracy. Hanover: University Press of New England, 1999. ISBN: 087451925X

Paul, Richard and Elder, Linda, Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools (available free of charge from Paul Danczyk in his office)

Rosenbloom, David H. and Kravchuk, Robert S., Public Administration: Understanding Management, Politics and Law in the Public Sector, 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 0072867957

Shafritz, Jay, Hyde, Albert C. and Parkes,, Sandra J., Classics of Public Administration, 5th ed. Wadsworth Publishing, 2003 ISBN: 0155062603

Stone, Bob Confessions of a Civil Servant. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2004 ISBN: 0742527654

Strunk, William and White, E.B., The Elements of Style.

Wilson, James Q., Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It. New York: Basic Books, 2000 (orig. 1989). ISBN: 0465007856

In Addition, purchase the following from the Critical Thinking Foundation:

Paul, Richard and Elder, Linda, How to Study and Learn a Discipline. $6.00