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Lecture Notes
Test 2
Decision making and budgeting can be viewed in a similar
fashion. Both are subject to incremental action. The process
of decision making and budgeting are both carried out by incrementalism.
Thanks to the political and social structure of life in America actions
in both these functional areas are carried out in small steps with change
only made in the margins of the policy. Rarely are policies even
considered that are comprehensive.
First, incrementalism declares that there are various actors
involved in policy-making and
Implementation. Such participants may include the president, his advisors,
Congress, bureaucracies, interest groups, and the public at large
Second, because there are many participants involved in the
policy process, no consensus exist on the policy agenda. In other words,
there is a lack of consensus on identifying which issues policy should
address.
Third, incrementalism affirms that there are also divergent
views on how goals should be pursued. No consensus exist on strategy
or tactics either.
Fourth, as a result of the various views about ends and means,
incrementalism alleges that actors use their political power to negotiate
what and how something should be done. This bargaining ultimately leads
to a consensus on the lowest common denominator.
Policies, therefore, tend to be watered down or "modest in resources
and scope. In short, incremental policy-making "is a process of mutual
adjustment among a multiplicity of actors having different self-interests
and divergent conceptions of the public interest.
Rational Comprehensive Approach
1. Identify values
2. Identify objectives
3. Determine methods to achieve objectives
4. Do cost-benefit analysis
5. Choose the one best way
It is argued that democracy and public administration can coexist because
there are democratic controls on the bureaucracy. These include external
and internal controls. The external controls result from the influence
over the bureaucracy provided by: Congress, the President, the Supreme
Court, interest groups, and the public. Each has ways of limiting
the influence of the bureaucrats and bringing them under public control.
Congress has the powers of supervision and expenditure of money.
The President has executive orders and appointments, the interest groups
and public can help bring issues to the political agenda and help focus
on the actions of the bureaucracy. Internal controls consists of professionalism
and a code of ethics. In the case of public administrators the basic
concept is object neutrality.
For a discussion of motivational theory check out this site on Maslow's
Needs Hierachy http://www.wynja.com/personality/needs.html
Personnel Administration
Personal administration covers human resources management practices
at all levels of the public sector work force. Specific topics include
civil service reform, equal employment opportunity, affirmative action,
sexual harassment, job analysis, recruitment, selection, public sector
labor relations, and compensation.
Testing
Job Applicants
About
Civil Service Tests
We convered the following topics:
Recruitment, Selection, Performance Appraisal
Job Evaluation and Classification
Pay and Benefits
Collective Bargaining
Affirmative Action
For affirmation action http://www-personal.umich.edu/~eandersn/biblio.htm#Pro
Case against affirmative action http://www-personal.umich.edu/~eandersn/biblio.htm#Con
http://www.unt.edu/lpbr/subpages/reviews/bergeast.htm
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