Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination: Public Administration

May 18, 2015

Answer one question from each part of the exam, for a total of three. You may spend up to eight hours on exam.

Part I: Methodology (choose one)

  1. Some scholars argue that the goal of research should be generalization to larger populations of interest. What are the theoretical and statistical assumptions associated with this argument? Using ideas and examples from academic literature in public administration, discuss whether you agree with this argument
  1. Identify three major methodological approaches that have been employed in the Public Administration literature. Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and provide prominent examples of each. Identify two important research questions that remain outstanding or understudied in the field and discuss an appropriate methodology for addressing each.

Part II: Public Administration Theory and the State (choose one)

  1. Don Kettl has argued that “Government [must] devise new strategies for managing public programs effectively in a globalized and devolved policy world, [and] it must also build the capacity for doing so.” Drawing fully upon the relevant literature, analyze and assess the manner in which modern governance has evolved, the causes and consequences of these changes, and their implications for public administration and management.
  1. What is the role of bureaucracy in the modern state, according to classical public administration theorists such as Max Weber and Woodrow Wilson? Critically analyze how this role has evolved over the past century, both empirically and in terms of Public Administration theory.

Part III: Issues in Public Administration (choose one)

  1. It has been argued that there is a fundamental conflict between a representative government and a professional bureaucracy. However, there is a long-held and fairly universal belief that a good government depends on good administration. How has the PA literature addressed this debate? What are the key themes of conflict identified within the literature? What remedies for perceived conflicts have been offered to bring professional and somewhat removed bureaucracies into line with aspects of democratic accountability?
  1. Bureaucratic oversight is often considered one of the primary functions of the legislature in a modern democratic state. Yet, observers have long argued that legislators have neither the time nor the resources to engage in effective oversight. What is our current understanding of political (both legislative and executive) control of the bureaucracy? Describe the mechanisms which may potentially be used to influence administrative agencies, how they are used in practice, and how effective they appear to be. What implications does this have for agency performance? For representative government?
  1. The production and delivery of public goods and services has become characterized by networks and collaborative governance arrangements. Scholars have suggested that unique skill sets and mechanisms are needed to govern these arrangements. First, discuss the literature on networked governance and the advantages and challenges of these collaborative arrangements. Second, using the public management literature, discuss whether the use of networks to produce and delivery public goods and services represents a fundamental change in terms of accountability and necessary skill set to policy implementation.