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PART
I: GOVERNANCE
GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENS
IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY
Week
1 - September 2
Introduction and Course
Objectives
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Overview of course at 6:00 p.m.
Technology Overview in SQU 316
(formerly called Science Building)
starting at 7:15 p.m. covering course Web
pages, creating a SacLink account, using
e-mail, and conferencing on the Web
(COW).
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Week
2 - September 9
The Reinventing Government
Movement
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Readings
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Questions
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Why did "Reinventing Government" get
written when it did? Why has it found such
a receptive audience? Does it present a
balanced view of the costs and benefits of
these changes? Does the book reflect a
particular ideology of government? Are
some of these changes occuring in your
organizations? Which have the most promise
for reforming the public sector? Why?
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Assignment
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- subscribe to class listserv. Click
here
for instructions.
- send an e-mail message to the class
listserv including your name, where you
work and your position (if currently
employed) . This is just a means of
introducing each other while trying out
the listserv.
- register for COW account
- e-mail question (by noon,
Wednesday). SEND WEEKLY E-MAIL
QUESTIONS TO ME (nshulock@csus.edu),
NOT TO THE LISTSERV!
- discussion question (if
assigned)
- short paper (if you choose this
week's readings)
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Week
3 - September 16
Bureaucracy and democracy;
critiques of
reinvention
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Readings
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- Melvin Dubnick and Barbara Romzek,
"American Public Administration,"
Chapter 2
- Wamsley, et.al. in Hill, "A
Legitimate Role for Bureaucracy in
Democratic Governance" in The State of
Public Bureaucracy, 1992
- Linda DeLeon and Robert Denhardt,
"The Political Theory of Reinvention,"
Paper presented at the 1997 Annual
Meetings of the American Political
Science Association, August, 1997.
- Hindy Lauer Schachter, "Reinventing
Government or Reinventing Ourselves,"
Public Administration Review, Nov/Dec
1995
- Smith, Gerald and Carole Huntsman,
"Reframing the Metaphor of the
Citizen-Government Relationship: A
Value-Centered Perspective, " Public
Administration Review, July/Aug
1997
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Questions
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How does the reinvention movement
challenge the traditional view of the role
of the bureaucracy? To whom should the
bureaucracy be accountable? Does the
citizen as customer or as owner make more
sense within your organization? What is
your opinion of the value of reinvention
theory to contemporary attempts to improve
government effectiveness? What position
does reinvention theory take on the
"politics/administration dichotomy?"
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Assignment
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- e-mail question
- discussion question (if
assigned)
- short paper (if you choose this
week's readings)
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Week
4 - September 23
New Directions for Public
Management
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Readings
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- Moore, Introduction and Chapters
1-3
- Schorr, Introduction, Chapter
1
- Robert Behn "The Big Questions of
Public Management" Public
Administration Review, July/Aug
1995
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Questions
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What does the concept of "creating
public value" contribute to the
understanding of public management? Who
defines "public value" for your
organization? Does the public want
bureaucrats to be technicians and experts,
or to be the political strategists that
Moore calls for? To whom would they be
accountable for their value choices? How
does Moore's view compare with Osborne and
Gaebler in "Reinventing Government"?
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Assignment
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- e-mail question
- discussion question (if
assigned)
- short paper (if you choose this
week's readings)
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Week
5 - September 30
New Directions for Public
Management--Continued
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****THIS
IS A WEB CLASS PERIOD: DO NOT COME TO
CLASS!!****
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Readings
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- Moore, Chapters 4-5
- Schorr, Chapter 3
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Questions:
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What challenges does the interest group
environment pose for your organization? Do
bureaucrats make public policy? Should
they? Is the political management
technique that Moore calls "public
deliberation" attainable? Does your
organization reflect any of the changes
that Schorr calls for? How do the changes
Schorr calls for compare to those called
for by Osborne and Gaebler?
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Assignment
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This is web class period. Class does
not meet.
- Read the class lecture notes on
class web page. Click
here for notes.
- e-mail me your question by noon
Wednesday as usual.
- Students assigned to lead
discussions should post their questions
to COW also by noon Wednesday.
- All students are required to
contribute at least two comments
to at least two of the
questions posted (total of at least
four comments). Each question will
appear as a "conversation" under the
Week 5 COW topic. Discussion will
end at midnight Friday.
- Students are required to read all
discussion topics after discussion
closes. That is, you are not finished
learning from the discussion after you
contribute your own comments.
- Students choosing to write a short
paper this week may e-mail it to me,
fax it to 278-7648, or bring it next
week.
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PART
II: ORGANIZATIONS
ARENAS FOR MANAGING
THE PUBLIC ENTERPRISE
Week
6 - October 7
The Meaning of Organizations--Part
1
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Readings:
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- Morgan, Images of Organization,
chapters 1-4
- Kofman and Senge, "Communities of
Commitment: the Heart of Learning
Organizations"
- Senge: "Rethinking Leadership in
the Learning Organization"
- Optional: The
Learning Organizations
homepage
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Questions:
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Which of the three metaphors (machine,
organism, brain) best capture how the
leaders of your organization seem to
understand it? How do the different
metaphors bring to light different issues
facing your organization? What makes
"learning organizations" different from
other organizations? Do Moore and Senge
see the challenge of leadership in the
same way? What changes would you make (if
you were in charge) to move your
organization toward becoming a learning
organization?
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Assignment
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- e-mail question
- discussion question (if
assigned)
- short paper (if you choose this
week's readings)
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Week
7 - October 14
The meaning of organizations--part
2
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Readings:
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Morgan, Images of Organization,
chapters 5-7
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Questions:
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Does the organization as culture
metaphor help you understand your
organization? What about the organization
as political system metaphor? How would
you describe your organization's culture?
How is cultural change best accomplished?
What is the relationship between
leadership and organizational culture? How
is power best attained and used in your
organization? How do decentralization and
information technology affect power
relationships in organizations?
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Assignment
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- e-mail question
- discussion question (if
assigned)
- short paper (if you choose this
week's readings)
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Week
8 - October 21
Organizational
Change
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****THIS
IS A WEB CLASS PERIOD: DO NOT COME TO
CLASS!!****
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Readings:
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Questions:
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What characteristics of a plan or a
planning process increase the chances that
a plan will actually be used? What does it
mean to use a plan? What is a vision and
how do public managers best contribute to
its adoption? How can public managers best
promote innovation? Is it more difficult
to change and innovate in the public than
the private sector? Is innovation rewarded
in your organization?
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Assignment
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This is web class period. Class does
not meet.
- Read the class lecture notes on
class web page. Click
here for notes.
- e-mail me your question by noon
Wednesday as usual.
- Students assigned to lead
discussions should post their questions
to COW also by noon Wednesday.
- All students are required to
contribute at least two comments
to at least two of the
questions posted (total of at least
four comments). Each question will
appear as a "conversation" under the
Week 8 COW topic. Discussion will
end at midnight Friday.
- Students are required to read all
discussion topics after discussion
closes. That is, you are not finished
learning from the discussion after you
contribute your own comments.
- Students choosing to write a short
paper this week may e-mail it to me,
fax it to 278-7648, or bring it next
week.
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PART
III: PRACTICE
CHALLENGES OF
PUBLIC MANAGEMENT
Week
9 - October 28
Accountability
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Readings:
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Questions:
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To whom is the public manager
accountable--citizens, legislators, chief
executives? Why has accountability become
such a large part of public sector reform?
How is accountability different in the
public and private sectors? How does
accountability relate to innovation? What
kinds of accountability activities are
occuring in your organization?
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Assignment
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- e-mail question
- discussion question (if
assigned)
- short paper (if you choose this
week's readings)
- begin working on group project
using COW. Each group is a separate
topic. Please participate only in your
assigned group.
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Week
10 - November 4
Performance
Measurement
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Readings:
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- Robert Kravchuk and Ronald Schack,
"Designing Effective
Performance-Measurement Systems under
the Government Performance and Results
Act of 1993," Public Administration
Review, July/August, 1996
- Warren Stone and George Gerard, "On
the Folly of Rewarding A, While Hoping
for B: Measuring and Rewarding Agency
Performance in Public-Sector Strategy,"
Public Productivity and Management
Review, March, 1997
- David Ammons, "Overcoming the
Inadequacies of Performance Measurement
in Local Government: the case of
libraries and leisure services," Public
Administration Review Jan/Feb 1995
- Osborne and Gaebler, Appendix
B
- California
Department of Parks and Recreation,
"Performance Based Budget,"
(through p. 21). (Click on "MOU" toward
the bottom of the page.)
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Questions:
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Is your organization putting a lot of
effort into performance measurement? Is
this effort worthwhile? Are there dangers
in focusing on performance measurement?
What is the connection between performance
measurement and accountability? What would
be good outcome measures for your
organization? How do these differ from
input or process measures? Is
performance-based budgeting likely to win
favor in the California legislature?
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Assignment
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- e-mail question
- discussion question (if
assigned)
- short paper (if you choose this
week's readings)
- continue working on group
project
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Week
11 - November 11
Privatization, Reengineering, and
TQM
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****THIS
IS A WEB CLASS PERIOD: DO NOT COME TO
CLASS!!****
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Readings:
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- Kettl, "The Myths, Realities, and
Challenges of Privatization, "
1993
- Robert Dilger, Randolph Mofett,
Linda Struyk, "Privatization of
Municipal Services in America's Largest
Cities," Public Administration Review
Jan/Feb 1997
- Legislative
Analyst's Office, "Privatization in
California State Government, from
Analysis of the 1996-97 Budget
Bill
- Patrick Connor, "Total Quality
Management: A Selective Commentary on
its Human Dimensions, with special
reference to its downside," Public
Administration Review, Nov/Dec
1997
- California Council on
Competitiveness; Executive
Summary and General
Government Issues
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Questions:
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What is driving the growing interest in
privatization? What are the strengths and
weaknesses of this strategy? What values
are driving the push for privatiziation,
reengineering, etc.? How do these reforms
affect the public manager's relationship
with the external domain? How does Moore's
concept of reengineering public sector
production relate to these views of public
sector reform? What is Schorr's view of
these strategies? Which, if any, of these
strategies is your organization pursuing,
and to what effect?
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Assignment
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This is web class period. Class does
not meet.
- Read the class lecture notes on
class web page. Click
here for notes.
- e-mail me your question by noon
Wednesday as usual.
- Students assigned to lead
discussions should post their questions
to COW also by noon Wednesday.
- All students are required to
contribute at least two comments
to at least two of the
questions posted (total of at least
four comments). Each question will
appear as a "conversation" under the
Week 11 COW topic. Discussion will
end at midnight Friday.
- Students are required to read all
discussion topics after discussion
closes. That is, you are not finished
learning from the discussion after you
contribute your own comments.
- Students choosing to write a short
paper this week may e-mail it to me,
fax it to 278-7648, or bring it next
week.
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Week
12 - November 18
Leadership
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Readings:
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- Gary Zajac and Ali Al-Kazemi,
"Reinventing Government and Redefining
Leadership," Public Productivity and
Management Review, June, 1997
- Moore, Chapters 6,7,
conclusion
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Questions:
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How important is leadership, compared
to institutional reforms, in making the
changes being called for in state and
local government? What is the difference
between leadership and management? How
does the reinvention movement affect the
expectations for leaders? Does successful
government reform require "heroic"
leaders? Does your organization invest in
leadership training? Is it effective?
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Assignment
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- e-mail question
- discussion question (if
assigned)
- short paper (if you choose this
week's readings)
- group project due at start of
class.
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Week
13 - November 25
THANKSGIVING--NO
CLASS!!
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Week
14 - December 2
Civil Service and Personnel
Management
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Readings:
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- Cristy Jensen, "State Civil Service
Reform," California Policy Choices,
vol. 8, John Kirlin, Editor, University
of Southern California, 1992
- Legislative
Analyst's Office, "Reinventing the
Civil Service"
- Little Hoover Commission Civil
Service Advisory Committee, agenda item
and Executive Summary of "Too Many
Agencies, Too Many Rules"
- Robert Maranto, "Thinking the
Unthinkable in Public Administration,"
Administration and Society, January,
1998
- Robert Durant, "Rethinking the
Unthinkable: a Cautionary Note,"
Administration and Society, January,
1998
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Questions:
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What are the strengths and weaknesses
of a civil service system as a way of
hiring, rewarding, and terminating public
employees? Who favors reform and who
opposes it? Is there a half-way position,
or incremental reforms that could be
implemented? What values are paramount for
reformers? How do these values relate to
those embodied in the reinventing
government movement?
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Assignment
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- e-mail question
- discussion question (if
assigned)
- short paper (if you choose this
week's readings)
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Week
15 - December 9
Ethics; Wrapping
Up
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Readings:
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- APSA
code of ethics
- Montgomery Van Wart, "The Sources
of Ethical Decision Making for
individuals in the Public Sector,"
Public Administration Review,
Nov/Dec, 1996
- James B. Bowman and Russell
Williams, "Ethics in Government: From a
Winter of Despair to a Spring of Hope,"
Public Administration Review,
Nov/Dec, 1997
- Mary Kweit and Robert Kweit,
"Ethical Responsibility for Reinvented
Bureaucrats: Working for
Custormer/Citizens," paper delivered at
American Political Science Association
annual meeting, August, 1997
- Steven Cohen and William Eimicke,
"Is Public Entrepreneurship Ethical? A
Second Look at Theory and Practice,"
paper delivered at American Political
Science Association annual meeting,
August, 1997
- Lisbeth Schorr, chapter 9--but skip
or skim pp. 320-359 on the seven case
studies. (Chapters 6,7,or 8 optional
for those with interests in those
policy areas)
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Questions:
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How has the reinvention movement
affected the focus of public sector
ethics? Do you think that the public
supports entrepreneurial activities by
public managers? Are ethical challenges
different in the public and private
sectors? What ethical issues have you or
your colleagues faced? Do you find the
ASPA code of ethics helpful in thinking
about those issues?
How does Schorr's vision for effective
govenment compare to Moore's and to
Osborne/Gaebler's? What ideas from the
course and readings have you found most
productive for promoting effective and
responsive government? Do you share
Schorr's optimism about the prospects of
rebuidling communities?
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Assignment
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- e-mail question
- discussion question (if
assigned)
- short paper (if you choose this
week's readings)
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Week
16 - FINAL PAPERS DUE 6 PM--Dec 16
NO CLASS MEETING
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OVERVIEW
/ ASSIGNMENTS
/ INSTRUCTOR
/ RESOURCES
/ SYLLABUS
DEPARTMENT
/ CSUS
Page
updated: November 10, 1998
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