WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
Plainview Virtual Campus
School of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically challenging, learning-focused and
distinctively Christian environment for professional success and service to God and humankind.
PUAD 5303VC02: SURVEY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION SYLLABUS
Term: WINTER TERM, NOVEMBER 11 2013  FEBRUARY 15, 2014>>
Instructor: Dick De Lung, Ph.D.;
Contact Information: ddelung@wayland.wbu.edu
Office Hours: None – On-line course
Class Time and Location: On-line course
Catalog Description: Critical analysis of federal administrative organizations as an integral part of the political system; special
attention to democracy and the political system, bureaucratic politics and power, Federalism and intergovernmental relations,
organization theory, decision making, human resources., budgeting, policy-making and administrative law. Must be taken within the
first three (3) graduate level courses
There is no prerequisite for this course
1) Textbook: Public Administration In America 11/e; Michael E. Milakovich & George J. Gordon; ISBN-13: 978-1-111-82801-1;
Wadsworth Cengage Learning
2) Classics of Public Administration 7/e; Jay M. Shafritz, Albert C. Hyde & Sandra J. Parkes;
978-1-111-34274-6; Wadsworth Cengage Learning
Optional Materials: SUGGESTED COLLATERAL READINGS (many of which are available online):
 Public Administration Review
 Public Administration Quarterly
 American Political Science Review
 International Journal of Public Administration
 Harvard Business Review
 Public Administration Times
 Administration and Society
 Management Science
There are a multitude of magazines and journals from city, county, and state agencies dealing specifically with public administration
policies and praxis.
Course Outcome Competencies: This course offers a comprehensive and inspiring overview of the themes, trends, ethics, and
challenges of studying and participating in public administration emphasizing the important and invaluable service that public
administration provides; providing a grasp of the complexities of the field by dividing the course into three parts: context and
structure, management and leadership, and functions of public administration.
Attendance: According to the WBU academic catalog (pg. 91 in the 2013-14 edition): “Attendance is defined as active participation
in the course as described in the syllabus…Students aware of necessary absences must inform the professor with as much advance
notice as possible in order to make appropriate arrangements. Any student absent 25 percent or more of the online course, i.e., nonparticipatory during 3 or more weeks of an 11 week term, may receive an F for that course…. Any student who has not actively
participated in an online course prior to the census date for any given term [ is considered a “no-show” and will be administratively
withdrawn from the class without record. To be counted as actively participating, it is not sufficient to log in and view the course.
The student must be submitting work as described in the course syllabus.”
Service for the Disabled: : In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, it is the policy of Wayland Baptist
University that no otherwise qualified person with a disability be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be
subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity in the university. The Coordinator of Counseling Services serves
as the coordinator of students with a disability and should be contacted concerning accommodating requests
at (806) 291-3765.
Documentation of a disability must accompany any request for accommodations.
Course requirements: This is a graduate level course. As such, it provides an opportunity for the student to engage in a structured
program of readings and to participate electronically in a discussion of ideas. An OPEN FORUM exists on the DISCUSSION
BOARD specifically for STUDENT-TO –STUDENT use. It will remain open and active throughout the course. There will also be an
open forum for communication with the professor should you need to communicate.
It is important that the student possess the ability to independently grasp theoretical concepts which require a great deal of time spent
on reading and considering the readings assigned. Electronic lectures are relatively short and tend to focus on further applications of
some of the ideas raised in the readings.
EXAMINATIONS: Two: mid-term and final; essay in definitive format.
GRADING POLICY: 100-90 = A; 80-89 = B; 70-79 = C;
Below 70 = F
Grades for this course will be based on the following components:
Mid-term Exam
15 points
Final Exam
25 points
Chapter Assignments
18 points
Casebook Assignments
18 points
The University has a standard grade scale:
A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F= below 60, W = Withdrawal, WP = withdrew passing, WF = withdrew failing, I =
incomplete. An incomplete may be given within the last two weeks of a long term or within the last two days of a microterm to a
student who is passing, but has not completed a term paper, examination, or other required work for reasons beyond the student’s
control. A grade of “incomplete” is changed if the work required is completed prior to the last day of the next long (10 to 15 weeks)
term, unless the instructor designates an earlier date for completion. If the work is not completed by the appropriate date, the I is
converted to an F.
Instructor’s policy on Academic Dishonesty: This being an on-line course, a great deal of personal responsibility is placed on the
student to follow all the rules laid out for them. I teach students the “art” of personal responsibility by placing them in a position
where “cheating” is a potential hazard. If they do, indeed, cheat…it’s on their shoulders from now on.
Tentative Schedule: Unless otherwise referred to, Chapter indication shall refer to the text: Public Administration In America 11/e.
Casebook assignments shall refer to Classics of Public Administration 7/e.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS
(Subject to change during the course)
Unless otherwise referred to, chapter indication shall refer to the text: Public Administration In America 11/e. Casebook assignments
shall refer to Classics of Public Administration 7/e.
SESSION DUE DATES/TIME: Noon, Central Time Zone on the date indicated is requested. Although the TENTATIVE
SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS shall remain open for the duration of the course, please do NOT SUBMIT ASSIGNMENTS
AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. They WILL NOT be accepted unless prior permission was given.
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 Read Chapters 1 & 2; select two (2) of the assignments for each chapter and complete them. Post your answers on the
Discussion Board. Comment on the postings of other students regarding their posts.
 Read Casebook Assignments; comment (on the DISCUSSION BOARD) your take on each reading. Discuss them with your
fellow students.
WEEK 1
Due: NOVEMBER 23, 2013
CHAPTER 1
“Approaching the Study of Public Administration”
Because much of public management in American government occurs within bureaucratic structures, there is a tendency to us
bureaucracy as just another term for public administration or public management; but it has a more specific meaning than either of
those, particularly with regard to the form or structure of administrative agencies.
ASSIGNMENTS:
_____Compare and contrast the definitions of bureaucracy and public administration. Give examples of each.
_____ Discuss in detail the similarities and differences between public and private administration. Illustrate your discussion with
examples.
_____Why has public support for government bureaucracy apparently declined in recent years? What accounted for public support of
bureaucracy in years past?
CASEBOOK ASSIGNMENTS:
#6, page 44: Bureaucracy by Max Weber
#1, page 16: The Study of Administration by Woodrow Wilson
CHAPTER 2
Due: NOVEMBER 23, 2013
“Public Administration, Democracy, and Bureaucratic Power”
ASSIGNMENTS:
_____What are the basic democratic values that underlie our society? How have they changed in recent years? How have these
changes affected public attitudes toward democratic government and public administration?
_____ What is the importance of "citizen participation" as a basic component of democratic administration? Identify and discuss
various forms of citizen participation that have been employed over the past three decades to increase access and representation.
_____ How can bureaucrats and bureaucracies be made accountable? If so, to what extent and to whom? By what means can this be
accomplished? Why are there no clear-cut answers to these questions? Discuss.
CASEBOOK ASSIGNMENTS:
#9, page 81: Notes on the Theory of Organization by Luther Gulick
#12, page100: Bureaucratic Structure and Personality by Robert K. Merton
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NOVEMBER 25 – NOVEMBER 29
THANKSGIVING BREAK
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WEEK 3
Due DECEMBER 7, 2013
CHAPTER 3
“Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations”
ASSIGNMENTS:
_____ Identify the key features of intergovernmental relations in contemporary American politics and discuss their significance. What
major themes may be said to exist in contemporary intergovernmental relations?
_____ Compare and contrast general revenue sharing, block grants, categorical grants, project grants, and formula grants. What are
they and what are the political consequences of each, including questions of political and administrative control and different patterns
of programmatic benefit and lack of benefit for each type of program?
_____ Discuss the promulgation of regulations by administrative agencies as a vehicle for intergovernmental control and how changes
in administrative autonomy at all levels of government affect intergovernmental relations.
CASEBOOK ASSIGNMENTS:
#23, page 213: The American System by Morton Grodzins
#47, page 479: American Federalism: Madison’s Middle Ground in the 1980s by Martha Derthick
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WEEK 4
Due DECEMBER 14, 2013
CHAPTER 4
“Organizational Theory”
ASSIGNMENTS:
_____ Discuss the similarities between the Weberian bureaucratic model, scientific management, and the "principles" approach to
studying public organizations. Describe the basis of each theory and its impact on the development of American public administration.
_____ Given the complexity of today's work environment, is it possible or realistic to "humanize" an organization to achieve higher
levels of personal satisfaction on the job? Discuss the conditions under which the application of organizational humanism may be
limited.
_____ Describe the characteristics of a Theory Z organization and how it differs from either Theory X or Theory Y types of
organizations. Are there similarities between Theory Z approaches and earlier theories of organization?
CASEBOOK ASSIGNMENTS:
#4, page 37: Scientific Management by Frederick W. Taylor
#39, page 395: Public and Private Management: Are They Fundamentally Alike in All Unimportant Respects? by Graham T. Allison
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CHRISTMAS BREAK
DECEMBER 23-JAN 3
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WEEK 5
Due JANUARY 11, 2013
MID-TERM EXAM
Chapters 1-4
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WEEK 6
Due JANUARY 11, 2013
CHAPTER 5
“Decision-Making in Administration”
ASSIGNMENTS:
_____ How should a decision maker choose the appropriate basis for decision making (substantive, political, or organizational)? Can
any general guidelines be suggested? What factors enter into this kind of decision? Discuss.
_____ Compare and contrast the rational decision-making approach and incrementalism, stressing the advantages and disadvantages
of each (in theory and in practice).
_____ Discuss the phenomenon of "groupthink," explaining the factors in the group situation that appear to be associated with it, how
it might affect the making of decisions, and what (if anything) can be done to combat it.
CASEBOOK ASSIGNMENTS:
#8, page 58: The Giving of Orders by Mary Parker Follett
#21, page 186: Organizations and the System Concept by Daniel Katz and Robert L. Kahn
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WEEK 7
Due JANUARY 18, 2013
CHAPTER 7
“Public Personnel Administration and Human Resources Development”
ASSIGNMENTS:
_____ Which mode of public administration is preferable: government by "gentlemen," government by the "common man,"
government by the "good," government by the "efficient," government by "administrators," or government by "professionals"?
Explain.
_____ What differences exist among the three major levels of government (national, state, local) in terms of types of employees that
have organized, fractions of employees that have organized, the provisions and atmospheres for conducting collective bargaining, and
the percentages of employees covered by collective bargaining agreements?
_____ Affirmative action and equal employment opportunity laws have goals that conflict with the idea of politically neutral
competence. Why should hiring and promotion be based upon anything other than ability to do the job and political neutrality? Also
discuss partisan patronage and veterans' preference in this context.
CASEBOOK ASSIGNMENTS:
#14, page 114: A Theory of Human Motivation by A.H. Maslow
#49, page 497: From Affirmative Action to Affirming Diversity by R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr.
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WEEK 8
Due JANUARY 25, 2013
CHAPTER 8
“Government Budgeting”
ASSIGNMENTS:
_____ Explain how taxation, government expenditures, management of the national debt, and tax expenditures (tax breaks) can be
used by national, state, and local governments as tools of fiscal policy.
_____ Define, and then compare and contrast, incremental budget making, line-item budgeting, performance budgeting, planningprogramming budgeting (PPB), and zero-base budgeting (ZBB). What are the features, advantages, and disadvantages of each? Which
do you think should be used today? Defend your answer.
_____ Budget making at the national, state, and local levels is characterized by institutional and political fragmentation, resulting in a
system that virtually requires compromise as the ultimate basis for most budgetary decisions. Critics say that this encourages fraud,
waste, abuse, and political corruption and that more power should be placed in the chief executive. Proponents argue that this
fragmentation encourages democracy. Are you in favor of fragmentation or centralization? Defend your answer.
CASEBOOK ASSIGNMENTS:
#13, page 109: The Lack of a Budgetary Theory by V.O. Key, Jr.
#41, page 420: Public Budgeting Amidst Uncertainty and Instability by Naomi Caiden
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WEEK 9
Due FEBRUARY 1, 2013
CHAPTER 9
“Public Policy and Program Implementation”
ASSIGNMENTS:
_____ Compare and contrast the major types of policies said to exist in the policy process, giving particular attention to the variable
roles administrative entities play in each.
_____ What are the principal criteria for devising program analyses? Are these criteria both realistic and comprehensive? Why or why
not? Illustrate with examples.
_____ Compare and contrast the purposes and methods of the performance evaluation review technique (PERT), the critical path
method (CPM), and management by objectives (MBO).
CASEBOOK ASSIGNMENTS:
#20, page 159: The Science of Muddling Through by Charles E. Lindblom
#57, page 591: Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making by Deborah Stone
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WEEK 10
Due FEBRUARY 8, 2013
CHAPTER 11
“Government Regulation and Administrative Law”
ASSIGNMENTS:
_____ Discuss the rise of national government regulation, focusing on its purposes and initial mechanisms and on what prompted the
first efforts in regulatory activity. What explains the continued expansion of regulation?
_____ Comment on recent instances of public dissatisfaction with regulatory actions by entities such as the Federal Department of
Agriculture, Federal Trade Commissions, and Department of Transportation. In your view, have such agencies "gone too far"? Why or
why not?
_____ What lessons could a regulatory body learn from the experience of the Federal Trade Commission in the cigarette-labeling
controversy and in its recent conflicts with Congress? What lessons might be learned by advocates of change in any regulatory policy?
By advocates of the status quo?
CASEBOOK ASSIGNMENTS:
#31, page 294: Toward a New Public Administration by H. George Frederickson
#30, page 281: Redundancy, Rationality, and the Problem of Duplication and Overlap by Martin Landau
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WEEK 11
Due Friday, FEBRUARY 14, 2013
FINAL EXAMINATION
Chapters 5, 7-9, 11