POLS 5000
Survey of Public Administration
Spring 2016
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Jisun Youm
OFFICE: Arts and Sciences 144
PHONE: 307-766-2880
OFFICE HOURS: Monday 3-5 pm, Tuesday 3-4 pm and by appointment.
EMAIL: jyoum@uwyo.edu
Meeting Times: Tues. 4-6:50 pm. for Compressed Video
Dates: Feb. 9; Mar. 1; Mar. 22 13; Apr. 5; Apr. 19
Classroom Building, 109
Intensive Weekends:
Friday Feb. 19; 4-10 pm
Saturday Feb. 20; 8 am-5 pm
Location: Laramie, UW Campus, Classroom Building, 115
Friday Mar. 6; 4-10 pm
Saturday Mar. 7; 8-5 pm
Location: Laramie, UW Campus, Classroom Building, 115
Required Texts:
Robert B. Denhardt and Janet V. Denhardt (2014), Public Administration: An Action
Orientation, 7th edition.
Richard J. Stillman (2010), Public Administration: Concepts and Cases, 9th edition
Course Description:
This course is an introduction to the profession of public administration. Students will be
introduced to the ideas, events, values, laws, people, and the concepts that have shaped
the development of public administration and you will be challenged to apply that
knowledge to the modern issues in public administration. Particular emphasis is placed
on the legal, ethical, and moral standards of professional public administration.
Learning Objectives:
 To identify the primary tools, actors, interests, and institutions in public
administration.
 To recognize the constitutional role of administration in America government.
 To apply concepts of administrative leadership, ethics, and personnel skills in the
management of public organizations.
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To increase skills in the analysis and communication of complex information.
To further professional development through exposure to professional
communities and institutions.
Course Requirements and Evaluation:
Class Participation and Attendance (10% of total grade)
Class participation grades are assigned by the instructor based on four criteria: (1) class
attendance, (2) the extent to which you ask questions or make comments/critiques in class
that show you have done the readings, (3) your responses to questions asked by the
instructor, and (4) your contributions in class on topics related to our weekly themes and
discussions. Make a copy for yourself of all class assignments submitted to me. Even
with great care, sometimes things get misplaced.
Media Journal (20% of total grade)
You will write short essays that address how to apply theoretical concepts discussed in
class to social issues in news articles. You should submit four short essays over the
semester via WyoCourses until May 5. Instructions for this assignment will be available
on WyoCourses.
Professional Memorandums (30% of total grade- each memorandum is worth 15%)
You will write two memorandums in order to demonstrate your ability to apply course
concepts and to perform analytical tasks. The memorandums are individual efforts.
Instructions for each report will be available on WyoCourses.
Case Study and Presentation (20% of total grade)
This assignment is designed to identify and assess issues in public administration
applying concepts embedded in the reading materials. Students will write a 6-8 page
(double space) analysis bring to bear concepts from class to help frame, understand, and
support your ideas for resolving the issue(s) found in the cases. These, too, are considered
formal writing assignments and will be graded as such. Students will present on an
assigned case. Full guidelines can be found on WyoCourses.
Final Exam (20% of total grade)
This final exam is an open-note, open-book exam but your must not discuss your
responses with others. This is take-home exam. You should submit by May 10 via
WyCourses.
Final Overall Grades:
Final Grading Scales:
A: 100-90
B: 89-80
C: 79-70
D: 69-60
F: 59-0
According to MPA student policies, students are required to maintain a cumulative 3.0
GPA or better in order to graduate from the program. Also, students are not allowed to
make a C or below in any MPA core/option core course. Therefore, you must receive a
letter grade of “B” or better in that course.
Attendance Policy
Students are not allowed absences during the weekend intensive classes without
reasonable excuses and documentation. With approved excuses, students should submit
two-page summaries of each reading listed on the syllabus to make up the absence.
Without submission, participation grade is going to be Zero.
Late Assignment Submission
To encourage timely submission, one point will be deducted from assignments turned late
on the due date. No assignments will be accepted on the third day or later; please contact
me right away.
Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism:
University regulations concerning academic dishonesty will be strictly enforced.
UNIREG 802, Revision 2 (subsections 3e-3h) defines academic dishonesty to include:
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Copying from, or assisting, another student during an examination.
Stealing, or otherwise improperly obtaining, copies of an examination before or after
its administration.
All quotes and ideas from other sources should be properly attributed.
Improperly ‘borrowing’ information from a web site.
The penalty for committing academic dishonesty and/or plagiarism in this class is a grade
of “F” for the entire course. In addition, a letter will be placed in your University
“citizenship” file. The University and I both take Academic Dishonesty very seriously.
The University Regulation that outlines academic dishonesty can be found here:
http://www.uwyo.edu/generalcounsel/_files/docs/uw-reg-6-802.pdf.
In addition, the department’s statement on academic dishonesty can be found here:
Http: www.uwyo.edu/pols/syllabus/index.html. You should read both of these statements
before class begins. If you have questions about academic dishonesty, please do not
hesitate to contact me.
Accommodations for persons with documented disabilities require student registration
wit University Disability Support Service (USDD) in SEO, room 330 Knight Hall, 7666189, TTY 766-3073.
Student Disability:
It is University of Wyoming policy to accommodate students, faculty, staff, and visitors
with disabilities. If you have a physical, learning, sensory, or psychological disability and
require accommodations, please let me know as soon as possible. You will need to
register with University Disability Support Services (UDSS) in the Student Educational
Opportunity offices, Room 330 Knight Hall, and provide UDSS with documentation of
your disability.
Schedule and Class assignments:
I reserve the right to change the schedule and readings as the semester progresses. I will
announce any changes or additions to the schedule in class or by email.
Feb. 9- Compressed Video
What is Public Administration?
Introduction
Feb. 19&20-Intensive Weekend
Friday:
1. Politics and Administration
Reading Assignments:
Denhardt: Chapters 1 & 2
Stillman: Chapters 1 & 2
2. Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations
Reading Assignments:
Denhardt: Chapter 3
Stillman: Chapter 5
Saturday:
1. Theories of Organization
Reading Assignments:
Denhardt: Chapter 8
Stillman: Chapter 6
2. Public Decision Making
Reading Assignments:
Marc Holzer and Richard W. Schwester: Public Administration: an
introduction Chapter 4 (WyoCourses)
Stillman: Chapter 8
Feb. 28-Due date to submit first memorandum assignment
Mar. 1- Compressed Video
Policy Adoption, Analysis, Implementation and Evaluation
Reading Assignments:
Denhardt: Chapter 4
Mar. 22- Compressed Video
The Quest for Market Mechanisms
Reading Assignments:
Trevor Brown and Matthew Potoski, “Contract-Management Capacity in
Municipal and County Governments,” Public Administration Review 63
(March/April 2003): 153-164.
Jonas Praeger, “Contract City Redux: Weston, Florida, as the Ultimate
New Public Management Model City,” Public Administration Review 68,
No.1, 2008: 167-180
Apr. 1-Due date to submit second memorandum assignment
Apr. 5- Compressed Video -1
Public Personnel Management and Leadership
Reading Assignments:
Denhardt: Chapter 6 & 9
Apr. 19-Comprssed Video -1
Public Performance
Reading Assignments:
Marc Holzer and Richard W. Schwester: Chapter 4 (WyoCourses)
Gregg Van Ryzin et al. “Measuring Street Cleanliness: A Comparison of
New York City’s Scorecard and Results from a Citizen Survey,” Public
Administration Review 68 (March/April 2008): 295-303. (WyoCourses)
May 1 - Due date to submit Case Study Assignment
May5- Due date to submit all Media Journal Assignments
May 6&7- Intensive Weekend
Friday:
1. Public Budgeting and Finance
Reading Assignments
Denhardt: Chapter 5
Stillman: Chapter 12
2. Administrative Discretion and Ethics
Reading Assignments
Denhardt: Chapter 7
Stillman: Chapter 11 & 15
Saturday:
1. The Quest for Internal Deregulation or Let Managers Manage
Reading Assignments
Steven W. Hays and Jessica E. Sowa, “A Broader Look at the
‘Accountability Movement: Some Grim Realities in State Civil Service
Systems,” Review of Public Personnel Administration (June 2006): 102117. (WyoCourses)
J. Edward Kellough and Lloyd G. Nigro. “Dramatic Reform in the Public
Service: At-Will Employment and the Creation of the New Public
Workforce, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory 16
(July 2006): 447-466. (WyoCourses)
2. Governance and the Future of Public Administration
Reading Assignments
Denhardt: Chapter 10 & 11
Case Study Presentation
May 10- Due date to submit final exam