RoanokeCollege – Public Affairs Department

POLI – 301E: PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Fall, 2008

“Public and private management are fundamentally alike in all unimportant respects."

-Wallace S. Sayre

Instructor: Roy H. Kirby III, MPA

Email: (most reliable method of communication)

Classroom: WEST Hall, Room 123

Course Time: Wednesdays from 6:00PM-9:00PM (Block E6)

Office Location: WEST Hall, Room 223

Office hours:Wednesdays from 4:00-5:00PM, or by appointment

Office phone: 378-5148 (please leave a message for me with Judi Pinckney)

COURSE DESCRIPTION[1]

This course is a survey of the relationship between politics and administration, ethics and administration, and the theory and practice of public administration in theUnited States. Public administration pervades virtually every aspect of our daily lives. Even an act as simple as driving to the local grocery store to make a purchase involves heeding laws and paying taxes. Law enforcement and tax collection are but a few of myriad responsibilities that befall public administrators at the local, state, and national level. Due to the importance of public administration in daily life, a more thorough understanding of public administration - as a profession and as an academic field of study - is in order. By the end of this course students will:

  • Hone oral and written communication skills, which are essential to a successful career in public administration.
  • Be able to think critically in evaluating past, present and future events related to public administration.
  • Have an appreciation for the importance of public administration theory and practice.
  • Know that the Constitution legitimates public administration and serves as a compass that helps guide administrative decision-making (at the local, state, and national level). A key role of public administration is to “run the Constitution.”[2]
  • Better understand some of the ethical dilemmas that face individual public administrators when performing their duties.
  • Learn from the historical successes and failings of public administration.

COURSE TEXTS

The following books and materials are required for this course:

  • Milakovich, M. E., & Gordon, G. J. (2007). Public administration in America(9thed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
  • Scott, G. M., & Garrison, S. M. (2006). The political science writer’s manual (5thed.). New York: Pearson.
  • Ashworth, K. (2001). Caught between the dog and the fireplug, or, how to survive public service. Washington, D.C.: GeorgetownUniversity Press.

COURSE GRADING REQUIREMENTS

The student’s grade for this course will be determined by three factors:

  1. Two examinations (mid-term and final), which will be distributed in class (see Class Schedule section of syllabus for examinationdates)
  2. Exams will consist of a mixture of true/false, multiple choice, fill in the blank, andshort answer questions. Additionally, there will be a written essay component designed to evaluate student critical thinking skills. The essays should be approximately one page or more in length.
  3. Three essays written by the student (each essay growing in length and importance)
  4. More detailed information concerning essay topics, page length, required content, and final due dates are highlighted in yellow throughout this syllabus.
  5. All assignments are expected at the exact time and date specified on the syllabus.[3]
  6. If an assignment is turned in late (without prior approval by the instructor), it will receive a 5% deductionper day until the assignment is received.
  7. Illnesses, family situations, and other unforeseen incidents do occasionally occur. If such incidents arise that may hinder assignment or exam completion by the required due date, please consult your instructor immediately (email is the most reliable method of communication). Research papers (page length and content requirements to be determined by the instructor) will be assigned to make up examinations, but only ifthe examination was missed due to a medical or family emergency (further verification - such as a doctor’s note, etc. - may be required).
  8. Participation Points awarded for thoughtful, respectful participation. This applies to class discussion contributions,paying attention when others are speaking,and attending each class session on time.[4]

The student’s final course grade will be determined as follows:

  • Essay #105%
  • Essay #220%
  • Mid-term Exam 20%
  • Essay #325%
  • Final Exam 25%
  • Participation Points05%

In submitting their work, students will be graded primarily on their understanding of the assigned readings and the topics discussed in class. Consequently, the essays mentioned should focus primarily on these readings. Of course, students are encouraged to make use of the readings from other courses. Nevertheless, to keep essays properly focused, students should concentrate on integrating and synthesizing the major themes in the reading assignments and classroom discussions based upon them.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

  1. Students are expected to attend each class session and be on time. If a student should miss more than two classeshe or she must submit a summary of the reading assignments for the class that was missed (at least one double spaced page in length, using no larger than a 12 point font - either Times New Roman or Calibri - with one inch page margins). These summaries must be submitted within one week of the date of the missed class. Late submissions and/or unsatisfactory summaries will receive a grade of “F” and negatively impact final participation points.[5]
  1. All written work submitted for this course must be typed in Microsoft WORD, double-spaced, paginated (pages should be numbered at the bottom center), using no larger than a 12 point font - either Times New Roman or Calibri - with one inch page margins. Essays must be submitted electronicallyvia the “Safe Assignment” process on Blackboard no later than 6PM on the due datethat each assignment appears on the syllabus.In addition, you must submit a stapledpaper copy of your essay. (Think of this stapled copy as your insurance policy, in case of computer error.)
  1. All written work must follow the APAwriting format (with one notable exception, I require you to cite the page number for ALL references).
  1. Students whose participation is truly excellent will receive participation points on their final grade. For example, if a student’s final grade is a B+ additional participation points for active participation may bring that final grade to an A.Participating in class will never hurt, it will only help!Active participationwill facilitate the learning process and benefits all parties involved. Each person shapes his or her own learning environment. Every class you take is as interesting or boring as you make it … so let’s make this class fun! (Even instructors disdain boring classes!)
  1. I encourage the RESPONSIBLE use of laptops in class.ALL OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES (which includes - but is not limited to - cell phones, PalmPilots, Pocket PCs, IPhones, and Blackberrys) MUST BE TURNED OFF prior to entering the classroom.[6] It is a simple matter of respect for others.Negative consequences are in order for inappropriate use of electronic devices (e.g. using laptops to “surf” the internet, IM, etc.). Violations shall result in a deductionfrom participation points. This will negatively affect the student’s final course grade.Inappropriate use of electronic devices during examinations will be considered a breach of academic integrity!
  1. If you are on record with the Roanoke College Office of Special Services as having special academic orphysical needs requiring accommodations, please discuss this with your instructorimmediately. Accommodations must be discussed before they can be implemented.Also, please note that arrangements for extended times on exams and testing in a semiprivatesetting must be made at least one week before each exam. If you believe you areeligible for accommodations but have not yet formally contacted the Office of Special Services, please contact the Center for Learning & Teaching (x2248).
  1. Audio and/or video recording devices may not be used in class.
  1. Academic Integrity is held in the highest regard at Roanoke College. Any Academic Integrity violations will be dealt with swiftly and severely! For this reason, if you ever have any questions concerning how to cite a source, or are unsure about RoanokeCollege’s Academic Integrity policy, please consult your instructor immediately. That is what I am here for.

CLASS SCHEDULE[7]

Week 1 - AUGUST 27Introductory Remarks

  • An overview of the syllabus.
  • Read and discuss an excerpt (pp. 389-395) from “Public and Private Management: Are They Fundamentally Alike in All Unimportant Respects?” Official citation below:
  • Allison, G. T. (2007). Public and private management: Are they fundamentally alike in all unimportant respects? In J. M. Shafritz & A. C. Hyde (Eds.), Classics in public administration (6th ed., pp. 387-403). Boston: Thomson.

Week 2– SEPTEMBER3Approaching Public Administration

  • Read Chapter 1.
  • 1-2 page essay is due detailing why you are taking this class and what you hope to learn during the semester.
  • How do YOU define public administration? What is the one word that first enters your mind when you think about public administration? How will this class prepare you for your future beyond RoanokeCollege? In other words, how do you perceive public administration and what do you expect to learn from this course?
  • GUEST SPEAKER – Detective Jeff Newman, Criminal Investigations Unit, Roanoke City Police Department.

Week 3– SEPTEMBER10Democracy and Bureaucracy

  • Read Chapter 2.

Week 4 – SEPTEMBER17The United States Constitution

  • Read the Constitution in its entirety.
  • Read pp. 181-194 beginning with the subheading “A Constitutional Theory of Public Administration” in Rohr, J. A. (1986). To run a Constitution: The legitimacy of the administrative state. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas.

Week 5 – SEPTEMBER24Ethics in Administration

  • Read “The Problem of Professional Ethics” pp. 9-16. Official citation below:
  • Rohr, J. A. (1998). Public service, ethics, and Constitutional practice. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas.
  • Read “Ethics for Bureaucrats.” Official citation below:
  • Rohr, J. A. (2007). Ethics for bureaucrats: An essay on law and values. In J. M. Shafritz & A. C. Hyde (Eds.), Classics in public administration (6thed., pp. 348-355). Boston: Thomson.
  • GUEST SPEAKER – Dr. John Rohr, Professor Emeritus, Center for Public Administration and Policy, Virginia Tech.

Week 6 - OCTOBER1Decision Making

  • Read Chapter 5.
  • 5-7 page critiqueof the bookCaught between the dog and the fireplug is due. This assignment is a book review rather than a book report, which means that you are to write a thoughtful, critical evaluation of the book, as distinguished from a mere description of it or a summary of its contents. The critique should include at least the following:
  • Provide a sense of the book’s plot and important themes.
  • How does the book relate to terms and concepts learned in this course (through assigned readings, class discussion, and guest lecture comments)?
  • Did any topic in the book surprise you?
  • If so, why and how?(e.g. Did reality reflect theory?)
  • Discuss this book’s contributions to your understanding of public administration. Support your argument with reputable sources.

Week 7 - OCTOBER8Federalism

  • Read Chapter 3.
  • GUEST SPEAKER – Ed Clark, Superintendent of Manassas National Battlefield Park, National Park Service.

Week 8 - OCTOBER22Organizational Theory

  • Read Chapter 4.
  • MIDTERM EXAM

Week 9 - OCTOBER29Personnel

  • Read Chapter 7.
  • GUEST SPEAKER – Lieutenant James Fazio, Roanoke City Police Department Training Academy.

Week 10 - NOVEMBER 5Budgeting

  • Read Chapter 8 Summary (pp. 402-403).
  • Read “The Politics of Public Budgets” (Chapter 1). Official citation below:
  • Rubin, I. S. (2006). The politics of public budgeting: Getting and spending, borrowing and balancing (5th ed.). Washington, DC: CQ Press.

Week 11 - NOVEMBER 12Leadership

  • Read Chapter 6.
  • 7-10 page essay is duedetailinga current event and how it relates to public administration.
  • This essay should site newspaper articles that detail a current or recent event relevant to public administration.
  • The newspaper articles can come from the source of the student’s choosing (e.g. The New York Times, The Roanoke Times, The Washington Times, etc.). It can be a localized event reported in a local newspaper (e.g. the recent Henry County Sheriff scandal that took place last year, see The Roanoke Times) or a national event (e.g. National Park Service rule change concerning firearms in National Parks, see national newspapers).
  • Does the current event have short and/or long-term ramifications for public administration (as a professionand/or field of study)?
  • Furthermore, are those ramifications positive or negative in nature (e.g. increased agency funding (generally viewed as positive), loss of public confidence (typically negative), etc.)?
  • The student MUST relate the newspaper articles to concepts learned in class (through assigned readings, class discussion, and guest lecture comments), properly supported by other credible sources (e.g. academic journals, books, news magazines, agency websites, etc.).
  • GUEST SPEAKER – Elmer Hodge, formerRoanoke County Administrator.

Week 12 - NOVEMBER 19Public Policy

  • Read Chapters9 & 10.

Week 13– DECEMBER 3Regulations, and Conclusions

  • Read Chapters 11 & 12.
  • Read the “Blacksburg Manifesto.” Official citation below:
  • Wamsley, G. L., Goodsell, C. T., Rohr, J. A., Stivers, C. M., White, O. F., & Wolf, J. F. (1990). Public administration and the governance process: Shifting the political dialogue. In Refounding public administration (pp. 31-51). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

Week 14 – DECEMBER 10FINAL EXAM(from 6:30PM-9:30PM)

[1]This syllabus was created thanks to input(directly or indirectly) fromseveral people. Among them are Dr. Hill and Dr. Brown, RoanokeCollege and Dr. Eikenberry, University of Nebraska at Omaha.

[2] Rohr, J. A. (1986). To run a Constitution: The legitimacy of the administrative state. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas.

[3] Please read the Performance Standards section of the syllabus for more information concerning assignment details.

[4]Please read the Performance Standards section of the syllabus for more information concerning class participation.

[5]Please remember that missing one class in this course is equivalent to missing three M,W,F one-hour classes.

[6] In case of emergencies (anticipating news concerning an ill family member, birth of a family member, etc.), an exception to this rule may be made through prior consultation with your instructor.

[7]The instructor reserves the right to add or subtract readings as necessary through handouts and/or Blackboard postings.