PADM 5330: Survey of Public Administration
Fall 2014
Online Course
Dr. Kenneth A. Wink
Office: Tyler, BUS 215A
Office Hours: By Appointment
Phone: 903-566-7327
e-mail: kwink@uttyler.edu
Course Description: Focuses on the special challenges facing public agencies and
administrators. This course emphasizes issues surrounding agency relations with outside
constituencies, responsibility and accountability in public management and
administrative ethics. Note that there are no prerequisites for this course.
Course Introduction from Dr. Wink: I will be your instructor for PADM 5330: Survey of
Public Administration. As an online course, I am primarily a facilitator. You have to do
the work, but I am here to help. By way of introduction, I have been at UT Tyler for 16
years, as a teacher and coordinator of the Master of Public Administration program. I
have taught this course every year since being at UT Tyler. My previous job was at a
university in North Carolina. I am a native of Louisiana, but my wife is a native Texan
so that should count for something! I always enjoy teaching this course and I hope you
will enjoy the learning as much as I enjoy the teaching.
A Statement on Course Etiquette: All Discussion Board exercises need to be conducted
with the utmost civility toward other students. Also, all e-mail contact with me should be
conducted at my “regular” e-mail address listed at the top of this document. It would
help if in the subject line of the e-mail message you type your name and the course
number. I will try to respond to you within 36 hours of the time the e-mail is sent.
Course Objectives. By the end of the course, students (YOU!) should:
1. Be able to memorize key concepts in public administration and which authors
contributed to knowledge in the field (ex., the politics surrounding
administration in the public sector; budgeting; human resources management;
ethics; information technology, etc.).
2. Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the major academic contributions
in public administration (as in explaining them to me on Discussion Board!).
3. Be able to synthesize the broad scope of material you will read and we will
discuss to find some material that can be applied to your work environment to
improve your effectiveness as a worker in the public or nonprofit sector.
4. Be able to make inferences about how material presented in class may work in
theory and in practice but can be utilized in your particular work environment.
5. Be able to analyze and integrate the variety of material with which you will be
presented, thus producing a term paper in which you either draw together
seemingly divergent lines of research in a theoretically meaningful way or
illustrate how the material can be applied to a concrete work environment.
6. These student learning objectives are measureable, and I will describe below
how they will be incorporated into your course grade.
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Textbooks:
1. Robert B. Denhardt, Janet V. Denhardt, and Tara A. Blanc, Public
Administration: An Action Orientation, 7th ed. Wadsworth, 2014.
2. Jay M. Shafritz, and Albert C. Hyde, Classics of Public Administration, 7th
ed. Wadsworth, 2012.
Grading system. Students will be evaluated on the following:
1. Preliminary work on the term paper, due in segments in the first four weeks of
class. 25 points
2. A term paper that will be discussed later in the syllabus. 75 points
3. Discussion Board questions that will be posed in three of the weeks. 20 points
4. Four reaction papers, to be explained later in the syllabus. 35 points.
5. A “debate” that will be held later in the semester. 20 points.
6. A case study, with questions you will answer. 10 points.
Thus, the grading scale will be as follows:
a. 166.5-185 pts.
= A
b. 148-166 pts.
= B
c. 129.5-147.5 pts.
= C
d. < 129.5 pts.
= F
Class schedule.
I.
Public Administration: Academic Discipline and Practice, Part I Week of
August 25
A. Denhardt, Denhardt, and Blanc, chapt. 1, pp. 1-13
B. Shafritz and Hyde
1. Leonard White, “Introduction to the Study of Public
Administration.”
II.
Public Administration: Academic Discipline and Practice, Part II. Week
Of Sept. 1
C. Denhardt, Denhardt, and Blanc, chapt. 1, pp. 14-26
D. Shafritz and Hyde
2. Woodrow Wilson, “The Study of Public Administration.”
3. Camilla Stivers, “Toward a Feminist Perspective in Public
Administration Theory.”
III.
The Environment of Public Management
A. The Political Context of Public Administration
1. Denhardt, Denhardt, and Blanc, chapt. 2
Week of Sept. 8
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2. Shaftritz and Hyde
a. Frank J. Goodnow, “Politics and Administration.”
b. Paul Appleby, “Government is Different.”
B. The Interorganizational Context of Public Admin., Part I Week of
Sept. 15
1. Denhardt, Denhardt, and Blanc chapt. 3, pp. 79-107
C. The Interorganizational Context of Public Admin., Part II. Week of
2. Denhardt, Denhardt, and Blanc chapt. 3, pp. 107-120
Sept. 22
3. Shafritz and Hyde
a. Deil Wright, “Federalism, Intergovernmental Relations, and
Intergovernmental Management.”
b. Joseph S. Nye, Jr., “Information Technology and Democratic
Governance.”
IV. Planning, Implementation, and Analysis/Evaluation
Week of Sept. 29
A. Denhardt, Denhardt, and Blanc chapt. 4
B. Shafritz and Hyde
1. Yehezkel Dror, “Policy Analysts.”
2. Alice Rivlin, “Systematic Thinking for Social Action.”
3. Deborah Stone, “Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision
Making.”
V.
Public Budgeting and Finance
Week of Oct. 6
A. Denhardt, Denhardt, and Blanc, chapt. 5
B. Shafritz and Hyde
1. Aaron Wildavsky, “Rescuing Policy Analysis from PPBS.”
2. Irene Rubin, “Perennial Budget Reform Proposals.
VI.
Human Resources Management
Week of Oct. 13
A. Denhardt, Denhardt, and Blanc, chapt. 6
B. Shafritz and Hyde
1. Frederick Mosher, “Democracy and the Public Service.”
2. R. Roosevelt Thomas, “From Affirmative Action to Affirming
Diversity.”
VII.
Ethics in Public Administration
A. Denhardt, Denhardt, and Blanc chapt. 7
Week of Oct. 20
B. Shafritz and Hyde
1. Dennis F. Thompson, “The Possibility of Administrative Ethics.”
2. Guy B. Adams and Danny L. Balfour, “Unmasking Administrative
Evil.”
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VIII.
A. Organization Theory – The Early Voices (1880s-1940)
Week of Oct.27
1. Denhardt, Denhardt, and Blanc, chapt. 8, pp. 289-303
2. Shafritz and Hyde
a. Frederick W. Taylor, “Scientific Management.”
b. Chester I. Barnard, “Informal Organizations and Their Relation to
Formal Organizations.”
c. Luther Gulick, “Notes on the Theory of Organization”
B. Organizational Theory – The Later Writers (1945-present) Week of Nov. 3
A. Denhardt, Denhardt, and Blanc, chapt. 8, pp. 303-318
B. Shafritz and Hyde
1. Herbert A. Simon, “The Proverbs of Administration.”
2. Philip Selznick, “The Cooptative Mechanism.”
3. J. Steven Ott, “Understanding Organizational Culture.
IX. Management and the Exercise of Leadership
Week of Nov. 10
A. Denhardt, Denhardt, and Blanc, chapt 9
B. Shafritz and Hyde
1. Mary Parker Follett, “The Giving of Orders.”
2. Louis Brownlow, et al., “Report on the President’s Commission on
Administrative Management.”
3. Mark H. Moore, “Creating Public Value: Strategic Management in
Government.”
X . Administrative Reform: The “Reinventing” of Government
Week of Nov. 17
A. Denhardt, Denhardt, and Blanc, chapt. 10
B. Shafritz and Hyde
1. Ronald C. Moe, “Exploring the Limits of Privatization.”
Thanksgiving Holidays – No Readings or Assignments this Week
XI. The Future of Public Administration
Week of Dec. 1
A. Denhardt, Denhardt, and Blanc, chapt. 11
Term Paper Due: Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 6:00 pm Central Time
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Class Policies: Graduate Seminars
Participation Policy
In graduate seminars, participation is mandatory, not optional. If you miss an
assignment for good cause, I can grant you an incomplete or “I” grade and you can finish
that assignment by the end of next semester. But if you miss multiple assignments, you
will suffer the consequences of receiving a 0 on that assignment and/or I will ask you to
withdraw from the class. Note that the last day you can withdraw from a class is
October 27, at 5:00 pm Central Time. After that date, you would have to make a
hardship appeal to the Registrar’s Office to receive permission to withdraw from the
course.
Disability Statement
If you have a disability, including a learning disability, for which you request disability
support services/accommodation(s), please the Disability Support Services office so that
the appropriate arrangements may be made. In accordance with federal law, a student
requesting disability support services/ accommodation(s) must provide appropriate
documentation of his/her disability to the Disability Support Services counselor. In order
to assure approved services the first week of class, diagnostic, prognostic, and
prescriptive information should be received 30 days prior to the beginning of the
semester services are requested. For more information, call or visit the Student Services
Center located in the University Center. The telephone number is 566-7079 (TDD 5655579). Additional information may also be obtained at the following UT Tyler Web
address: http://www.uttyler.edu/disabilityservices.
Social Security Statement
It is the policy of the University of Texas at Tyler to protect the confidential
nature of social security numbers. The University has changed its computer
programming so that all students have an identification number.
Note Regarding Student Absence Due to Religious Observance
Students who anticipate missing an assignment due to a religious observance are
requested to inform the instructor by the second class meeting of such absences.
Grade Replacement
If you are repeating this course for a grade replacement, you must file an intent to
receive grade forgiveness with the registrar by the 12th day of class. Failure to file an
intent to use grade forgiveness will result in both the original and repeated grade being
used to calculate your overall grade point average. A student will receive grade
forgiveness (grade replacement) for only three (undergraduate student) or two (graduate
student) course repeats during his/her career at UT Tyler
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The Writing Center
Located in BUS 202, the UT-Tyler Writing Center provides professional writing
tutoring for all students in all disciplines. If you wish to use the Writing Center, you
should plan for a minimum of two hour-long tutorials per assignment: the first to provide
an initial consultation and drafting plan, and the second to follow up. Be prepared to take
an active role in your learning – you will be expected to write and/or discuss your work
during your tutorial. While Writing Center tutors are happy to provide constructive
criticism and teach effective writing techniques, under no circumstances will they fix
your paper for you. Appointments: 565-5995. More information:
www.uttyler.edu/writingcenter.
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Large Written Assignment
For your term paper assignment, you will have the option of writing one of two
papers.
I am referring to Option 1 as “The Applied Paper.” The applied paper will
involve your candid analysis of the organization for which you work. Should you choose
to write this paper, you will analyze your organization, assessing its strengths and
weaknesses, using as your criteria the concepts presented in the readings for this class.
In this paper, you will be asked to describe the strengths and weaknesses of the
organization, the incentive structure, and the budgeting and human resources skills of
managers in your work area. What tends to make the organization work effectively, and
what factors tend to hinder the success of the organization?
Of course, as this is a ticklish subject, you have my promise that I will not divulge
any information gleaned from this paper to ANYONE, for any reason. This assignment
is similar to the professional paper option of MPA students at an institution where I
previously taught, and a committee of several faculty members had no trouble keeping
information from the papers “under wraps.” So this is a tried and true exercise, and one
that you should not worry about getting you into any trouble.
However, should you still have reservations about pursuing this option, or should
you lack appropriate work experience, you may choose Option 2. Of course, if you
choose option 1 you may “change the names to protect the innocent,” but I do expect
option 1 to be a work of nonfiction.
I anticipate that you can realistically attain a good grade on this assignment with a
paper of approximately 15-20 pages in length.
Option 2 is the “The Theory Paper.” In order to illustrate to me that you have a
keen understanding of the material I am asking you to read, I want you to write a paper in
which you describe some recent school of thought or theory about organizational
behavior, that is the behavior of people in organizational settings. This will be more like a
traditional research paper. There are only five requirements for this paper:
(1) The theory or technique you describe should be contemporary, that is to say,
new.
(2) You should be able to compare and contrast this new theory or technique with
related theories or techniques that have come before it. In other words, you
should draw upon the readings from this course, and then build upon your
knowledge of organizational theory by doing your own, additional research.
(3) The theory or technique should have some relevance to the material presented
in the Denhardt, Denhardt, and Blanc text.
(4) You should draw from the public administration journals in completing this
assignment.
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(5) The theory or technique should be applicable to the public sector, and not
only to the private sector.
In doing the “theory paper,” I want you to exhibit an understanding of the authors
you read. What, if any, common themes emerge? Do these thinkers support each other,
or do they challenge each other? How has thinking about organizational behavior
changed over the last 5-10 years?
I anticipate the theory paper will be approximately 15-20 pages in length. Like
the applied paper, this option will require a very close reading of the material, and some
serious thought about it as well.
Additional Points about Both Papers
1. For paper style and usage, you should employ the APA Publication Manual, 5th ed. or
a later edition of that publication. The quality of the style and the writing will be a
part of the grade on the paper.
2. Due date: The due date for your paper is December 9, 2014, 6:00 Central Time
3. Obviously, content is the most important thing with regard to grading the papers, and
I want you to demonstrate knowledge about public administration concepts and also
to illustrate the ability to analyze, synthesize, and apply those concepts. Additionally,
I will grade on the quality of the research as to the depth and breadth of concepts and
sources used in your papers. But also note that grammar, usage, and style will count
for a sizeable portion of the grade, as well. So I would strongly urge you to follow
the style manual and to proofread (or have someone else proofread) your paper.
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Reaction Paper Instructions
Reaction papers are papers that are assigned for a number of purposes. First,
reaction papers ensure that this material is read. Second, reaction papers are one method
of assessing your writing skills and your analytical abilities.
Reaction papers should consist of description/explanation and analysis. Although
there is no perfect formula to ensure a high grade, you should devote some of the paper to
a description of what the author said, what you believe the author meant, and you should
be able to provide a coherent summary of the main points of the author. Remember, you
are not to write a paper simply based on a verbatim restatement of the author’s own
words, as that would be plagiarism. Rather, this summary/explanation should be in your
own words. Convince me that you read the material and that you understand it.
Additionally, the student should provide an analysis. The analysis should
consist of the original thinking of the student as to how the author’s content fits into the
broad framework of the literature in the field we are studying. In the analysis, the student
should answer the questions, “So what?” and “What have I learned from this reading?”
Convince me that you read and thought about the assignment. You can also either agree
or disagree with the author on a key point or points, but you should defend your position.
A strong hint: A one- or two-sentence analysis at the end of the paper will not be
sufficient to ensure a high grade.
Reaction papers are due on the dates and times noted on your syllabus.