psc4203-s05

Capstone:
Practitioners, Professors, and Prophets on Government and Public Administration

P Sc 4203   section 001   Wednesday, 3.30 - 6.10 p.m.       Spring 2005

Professor:   Jos C.N. Raadschelders
                     place: Felger Hall 320
                     tel.: 325-6620
                     e-mail: raadschelders@ou.edu

Office hours: Wednesday 2 - 3.30 p.m.

Required Texts: small reader available at Kinko’s.

Grading: based on one book review presentation (10%), one book review paper (20%), one group research paper presentation (10%), one group research paper (30%), one essay exam (20%), and participation (10%).

Grading Scale: A = 500 - 450, B = 449 - 400; C = 399 - 330; D = 329 - 280; F = 279 - 0.

Late Work: the individual book review paper is due one week after your presentation; the group research paper is due one week after the group presentation.

Course Content:
The study of public administration is said to suffer from a lack of identity. Some scholars would like to see that the study develops in the direction of a more positivist science, while others emphasize the importance of inter-disciplinarity. In this capstone you will be provided with an overview of the study. So far you have enrolled in a variety of courses that together amount to a bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs and Administration. What is your impression of public administration? Do you find that it lacks a core or that it does not need one? Does the study come across as fragmented or as ‘just fine’? In this capstone we will develop a conceptual map of the study that helps you connect the various subject matters it is interested in. It will include a study of classic and contemporary leading authors. You will read one study and report about it in class and will learn about other studies in presentations by your colleagues. That way you will develop an overview of the study. You will also engage in a small research project that requires you to interview elected officials, civil servants and citizens about a specific aspect of government. That way you will learn how perceptions about government vary. In the final exam you will be asked to write an essay in which you will be asked to outline your views of the study (the specific question for that essay exam will be given at the time of the exam).

Course Objectives:
1. Familiarize with the methods of and approaches to the study of public administration;
2. Discover how the various sub-specializations in the study are linked;
3. Understanding the influence of perceptions about government;
4. Forming reasoned opinions about issues important to (aspects of) the study of public administration through active participation in class discussions.
5. Applying, translating, and illustrating theory (i.e., definitions, concepts, models) to and with real-life examples and experiences (by means of interviews);.
6. Acquire experience in formulating scholarly thoughts in writing through an individual book-review presentation and paper (which will be graded and commented), a group research project presentation and paper (which will be graded and commented), and an in-class essay exam (which will be graded and commented upon request).

Course Format:
The first week we will use to discuss the class in greater detail and distribute the assignments. The next two weeks will be used to acquire an understanding of how public administration and government can be conceptualized on the basis of the lectures and some readings. Then, for eight consecutive weeks we shall look into some of the sub-specializations of public administration through lectures and student presentations. In the three weeks prior to the final essay exam we shall have student presentations about the research project they conducted.

Academic Misconduct: University policy will be followed. See the Academic Misconduct Code, printed in full in the 1998-99 OU Student Handbook.

Students with disabilities: Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me personally as soon as possible so we can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate your educational opportunities

Religious Holidays: It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required class work that may fall on religious holidays.

VERY IMPORTANT

Code of Conduct or Our Social Contract

Students and instructor are both expected to go beyond that what they would be able to achieve without effort. Learning and - ultimately - wisdom are achieved through effort and digestion, not through brainless spoonfeeding.

- The student will study to the best of her/his abilities. This means that
1. every week the prescribed literature is read and studied prior to class;
2. every week the prescribed literature is summarized in writing and the key concepts memorized;
3. s/he will ask the instructor to explain in more detail in class or upon appointment, if the readings or the lectures are unclear. The true mark of an intellectual is admitting that s/he does not understand;
4. s/he will come to the instructor’s office whenever considered necessary, for guidance, for explanation, whatever;
5. s/he will take the responsibility of spending the number of hours needed to adequately prepared for class and exams. For some this may be only two hours a week, for others it may be eight hours. But spend whatever time it takes.
6. the student will not discuss and negotiate grading scales. The highest possible commitment to this class should guarantee a satisfactory result.
7. the student will not ask the instructor what is important and necessary to know for the exams. What is discussed in the readings and the lectures is important. By the time the student can distinguish what s/he understands from what s/he does not understand, s/he is probably very well prepared for the exam and still has the time to ask the instructor for further explanation..
8. the grade ‘A’ is not passed out like candy; An ‘A’ indicates nothing more, nothing less but excellent performance.
9. papers will be submitted typed and in a well-organized manner.

- The instructor
1. is adequately prepared for the lectures;
2. will address the literature in a wider context for that helps the understanding of the literature; the prescribed literature will not be rehashed but discussed in class;
3. is available during office hours or upon appointment for guidance, tutoring, explaining etc.
4. will grade the weekly assignments before the discussion on Wednesday
5. is available to discuss draft term papers in order to advise on improvements;
6. is more impressed with academic performance, commitment and effort than with negotiating skills;
7. will discuss the proper answers to the questions of the mid-term exam in the class-meeting following;
8. will discuss the exams individually with the student who so desires;
9. is flexible enough to review the grading after the mid-term and final exams, if such is a) warranted in view of overall performance, b) in view of possible ambiguous questions, and c) in view of protest by individual students against the grading of a particular question. In the last case the instructor expects that the student is able to substantiate a claim to a higher grade or a higher number of points;
10. will monitor the progress of each student and will seek contact if considered necessary.

Program of Class
Week 1, January 19
Introduction to Class
Introduction of students; explanation of theme; discussion and distribution of assignments.

Week 2, January 26
Lecture: Mapping the Study of Public Administration
Reader: Gill & Meier, 2000; Kettl, 2000; Lan & Anders; Raadschelders 1999, 2004.

Week 3, February 2
Lecture: Mapping the Study of Government
Reader: Mainzer, 1994; Raadschelders, 2002; Simon, 1947; Simon, Drucker, Waldo, 1952.

Week 4, February 9
Lecture: Bureaucrats, Politicians, and Citizens: Perceptions and/or Facts?
Student presentation of: Ralph P. Hummel (1977). The Bureaucratic Experience. New York: St.Martins Press.
Student presentation of: Charles T. Goodsell (2004). 4th ed, The Case for Bureaucracy. A Public Administration Polemic. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press.

Week 5, February 16
Lecture: Bureaucratic Decision Making: Routine and/or Politics?
Student presentation of: Herbert A Simon (1997 [1947]). Administrative Behavior: A Study of Decision-Making Processes in Administrative Organization. 4th ed., New York: The Free Press.
Student presentation of: Dwight Waldo. 1984. The Administrative State. A Study of the Political Theory of American Public Administration. 2nd ed, New York/London: Holmes & Meier Publishers.

Week 6, February 23
Lecture: Political-Administrative Relations: Separate and/or Joint?
Student presentation of: Frank Goodnow (1900). Politics and Administration. A Study in Government. New York/London: The MacMillan Company.
Student presentation of: Joel D. Aberbach, Robert D. Putnam, and Bert A. Rockman (1981). Bureaucrats and Politicians in Western Democracies. Cambridge, MS: Harvard University Press.

Week 7, March 2
Lecture: Organization Theory: Mechanistic and/or Organic?
Student presentation of: Frederick Winslow Taylor (1911). The Principles of Scientific Management. New York/London: Harper and Brothers.
Student presentation of: Frederick C. Mosher (1982). Democracy and the Public Service. 2nd ed., New York: Oxford University Press.

Week 8, March 9
Lecture: Public Management: Rational and/or Emotive?
Student presentation of: George A. Krause and Kenneth J. Meier (Eds.) (2003). Politics, Policy, and Organizations: Frontiers in the Scientific Study of Bureaucracy. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Student presentation of: David Osborne and Ted Gaebler (1992). Reinventing Government. How the Entrepreneurial Spirit is Transforming the Public Sector. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Week 9 spring break (12-20 March)

Week 10, March 23
Lecture: Human Resource Management: Organization and/or Employee?
Student presentation of: Ordway Tead and, Henry C. Metcalf (1920). Personnel Administration: Its Principles and Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Student presentation of: Douglas McGregor (1960). The Human Side of Enterprise. New York/Toronto/London: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.

Week 11, March 30
Lecture: Policy Making: Linear and/or Cyclical?
Student presentation of: John W. Kingdon (1984). Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies. Boston/Toronto: Little, Brown and Company.
Student presentation of: Deborah Stone (2002). Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making. New York/London: W.W. Norton & Company.

Week 12, April 6
Lecture: Public Sector Ethics: High and/or Low?
Student presentation of: Terry L. Cooper (1998). The Responsible Administrator. An Approach to Ethics for the Administrative Role. 4th ed., San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Student presentation of: Louis C. Gawthrop (1998). Public Service and Democracy. Ethical Imperatives for the 21st Century. New York/London: Chatham House Publishers.

Week 13, April 13
Student presentations:
Group 1: Political-Administrative Relations: Are civil servants too powerful?
Group 2: Public Organizations: Do you find them accessible?

Week 14, April 20
Student presentations:
Group 3: Public Management: Should and can government be run like a business?
Group 4: Public Policy: To what extent can you influence policy making?

Week 15, April 27
Final exam: essay

Week 16, May 4
Student presentations
Group 5: Public Personnel Management: Do you believe civil servants to be competent?
Group 6: Public Sector Ethics: Do you trust government?

Term paper assignments
a) book review
One of the ways to get acquainted with the literature in the field on a particular topic is through reviewing books. With respect to books two basic types are distinguished: the monograph written by one (or a few) author(s) and the edited volume (one or a few editors) to which a variety of authors have contributed. You are to review one book that is related to the topic of the class lecture. The book assignments are outlined above in the class program.
   Components of a review
1. Introduction: Public administration is an interesting and exciting field of study. The review should open with some remarks that will make the reader curious and enthusiastic to continue reading. Clarify why the book and articles reviewed are relevant to the study of organizations and the topic of the week. The introduction should end with the major issue addressed in the paper by means of a question or set of questions.
2. Examination: Outline the sections in which you are going to address the question(s). Pay attention to logic. Take the reader by the hand and summarize the book and articles. Indicate how they are related. Write about what is actually in these studies and clarify how the author wrote it. Present the major questions and answers of the author(s).
3. Elucidation: Discuss the book's value and how it contributes to public administration by describing 1) what the author set out to do and 2) how the author's work compares to similar efforts in public administration or other academic endeavors. You may include here additional information about the author: her/his background (education, institutional affiliation, other publications) will help identify the position of the author vis-à-vis other authors.
4. Evaluation: Answer the question(s) raised in the introduction. Now that we are familiar with book/articles and author(s), you should tell the reader to which extent the book has succeeded. Evaluate the book by looking at: the importance of the topic to the study of public administration, the completeness of the analysis, the carefulness of the analysis, the strengths and weaknesses of method, quality of writing, and prospective beneficiaries.

With respect to the book it will be helpful to look at the Book Review Digest and the Book Review Index in the library. There you may find other reviews of the book as they have been published in journals and other periodicals. Fruitful usage of these reviews is guaranteed when: you look at criticisms (strengths and weaknesses), you develop a summary of this critique, you note the overall positive or negative tone of the review, and identify the most common comments. Use these reviews as background to your own review. Be sure to identify the reviews that you have used in a list of references attached to the end of the paper.

   Format and content of book review paper
1. General page format: The 8-10 page individual paper should be typed on 8,5 by 11-inch paper. Margins should be one inch on all sides of the paper. Select a font that is plain and easy to read such as Times Roman or Courier, 12 point type. Line spacing should be 1.5. Page numbers should start on the first page of the actual text (hence the title page does not count as a page). Do not bind your paper or enclose it with a plastic cover. Place one staple in the upper left corner, or use a paper clip at the top of the paper. The paper should be eight to ten pages in length.
2. Title page: the following information will be centered on the title page:

A review of:
Name of book, name of author(s)
Course title, section number
Instructor
University
Date

b) Group research project
Assuming that the class will have a maximum of 20-24 students we will form six groups of 3-4 students each. Each group will select one of the following topics for research:
1. Political-Administrative Relations: Are civil servants too powerful?
2. Public Organizations: Do you find them accessible?
3. Public Management: Should and can government be run like a business?
4. Public Policy: To what extent can you influence policy making?
5. Public Personnel Management: Do you believe civil servants to be competent?
6. Public Sector Ethics: Do you trust government?

Students are to interview elected officeholders, civil servants, and citizens on the topic of their choice. The students will develop a plan of research which includes a review of literature on that question, a list of people to be interviewed, and a list of questions (the general question as outlined above can be specified in relation to each of the three groups to be interviewed). This plan will be discussed with the instructor.

   Format and content of group research paper
1. General page format: The 20-25 page group research paper should be typed on 8,5 by 11-inch paper. Margins should be one inch on all sides of the paper. Select a font that is plain and easy to read such as Times Roman or Courier, 12 point type. Line spacing should be 1.5. Page numbers should start on the first page of the actual text (hence the title page does not count as a page). Do not bind your paper or enclose it with a plastic cover. Place one staple in the upper left corner, or use a paper clip at the top of the paper. The paper should be eight to ten pages in length.
2. Title page: the following information will be centered on the title page:

A research paper on:
Title of topic
Course title, section number
Instructor
University
Date

The grading criteria for the presentations, the individual book review paper, and the group research paper are provided below.

Grade Sheet Presentation

SID#: Name:

		Points
1. Content of presentation (40% of grade)
completeness
originality
balance detail-outline
clarity (focus on main question)
2. Structure of presentation (30% of grade)
Preview: present main question + rationale
Organization: do not shuffle papers
Functional use of hand-out, powerpoint
3. Presentation style (20% of grade)
Do not read up notes, slides (power point)
Keep length of presentation to allotted time
Avoid filler words (uh, uhm)
Maintain eye contact with audience
Use hand gestures sparingly
Relaxed: no 'jerky' movements, fast pacing
4. Miscellaneous (10% of grade)
Use of humor (it can backfire)
Avoid even mild profanities

Grade sheet Papers and Exams (* = relevant to the final exam)

SID#: Name:

		Points
1. Content of assignment, exam, paper (40% of grade)
completeness *
originality *
balance detail-outline *
clarity *
2. Understanding of theory itself and application theory to practice (30%)
theory itself: (in)correct, proper definitions *
theory applied to real-life other than personal
personal experience assessed in theory terms
3. Structure/organization of text (20%)
structure (sections, paragraphs, sentences) *
flow (logical or not) *
length (no unnecessary language ) *
proper page length
cover page; opening, middle, end, list of refer.
typed, 1" margins, line spacing, page#, stapled
4. Writing style and English language (10%)
grammar, spelling, punctuation, acronyms *
rambling or fluid *
proper use of references and citations
on time