SYLLABUS
PUBLIC MANAGEMENT (34:833:571:01)
Spring 2012
Instructor:
Raphael J. Caprio, Ph.D.
University Professor/Professor of Public Administration
Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
33 Livingston Avenue, 3rd floor, Dean's Suite
New Brunswick, NJ 80901
848-932-2422
ray@dceo.rutgers.edu
Overview
This course will serve as an introduction to public administration and management in the United
States. We will explore the institutional setting and political relationships in administration;
leadership, decision making, personnel and budgeting functions; administrative law and
regulation; and the problem of responsibility. A major goal of the course is to improve our
understanding of the many aspects of public administration and management, in general, and
American bureaucracy in particular. Equally important will be to gain a substantive
understanding of some of the critical differences between policy and administration, and how
each can and does affect the other. Throughout the course, we will analyze current news by
relating them to the materials covered in class, i.e. – we will apply a public administration “lens”
to everyday public events. The concept of “clashing values” will serve as a central thematic
framework for the course.
Course Organization: The course will be divided into five parts:
I
II
III
IV
V
– Definitions, Concepts, and Setting
– Public Organizations: Institutional Setting and Political Relationships
– Public Management
– Program Management
-- Resources Management
In the first section of the course, we will learn the basic definitions, concepts and the overall
context of public administration in the United States. Second, we will explore public
organizations – the institutional setting and political relationships. In this context, we will also
explore relevant theoretical frameworks and issues of management and communication flows.
In the third section of the course, we will focus on the core functions of public organizations,
such as: decision making, leadership, public personnel administration, and budgeting and
finance. Lastly, we will conclude by focusing on administrative law, clientele pressure and
evaluation of public policy.
Pearson Learning Suite (eCompanion) - Hybrid:
This is an eCompanion-based Hybrid course: our class meetings are supplemented with a course
website that will allow you to access important information and study tools - handouts,
announcements, readings, online class discussions, self-tests, exam reviews, etc. To access the
website, log in via http://www.rutgersonline.net. Further details are/will be provided on our
“eCompanion” instructions handout.
News Sharing
For each class, you should be prepared to share current political/public administration news. We
will analyze the news by relating them to the materials we cover in class. Your news will be used
for class discussions and will count as participation.
Online Discussions
Each week, one or more discussion topic(s) will be posted on our course website. You are
expected to participate substantively in each of these discussions. Discussions for each week will
be active only for that week. For example, discussion for week 1 will be active from the end of
our week 1 class until the day of our next class.
Papers and Presentations
Each student will be responsible for several smaller papers - typically analyses of a particular
topic or issue as well as a substantive exploration (paper and presentation) of a management
issue. to be explored in depth. You will be asked to apply what we learned in class to your
analysis and to present your research in class. More information will be provided in class and
online.
Exams
The course will be primarily research and discussion based, but I will provide for each chapter a
series of self-assessments for you to determine your degree of absorption of the reading
material. You may retake these assessments - each student shall be expected to exceed 80
percent on each of these assessments.
Plagiarism:
Please make sure to clearly acknowledge exact sources of information whenever using others’
ideas and words. Any student suspected of plagiarism will be reported to the appropriate
academic office and, if found guilty, will be subject to action as deemed appropriate by the
University, which may include separation from the University. An educational video module on
plagiarism is available at:
http://www.library.camden.rutgers.edu/educationalmodule/plagiarism
Please read Rutgers Policy on Academic Integrity at:
http://ctaar.rutgers.edu/integrity/policy.html
NOTICE OF IMPORTANCE/DISCLAIMER:
This syllabus presents a general “road map” for this course. Some aspects of the syllabus may
change during the course of the semester to accommodate current management cases as well as
the dynamics and needs of the class. Any changes will be announced in advance.
Textbook(s)
Required Textbook: Grover Starling, Managing the Public Sector, Thomson-Wadsworth, Ninth
Edition,
ISBN#10 0-495-83319-3
ISBN#13 978-0-495-83319-2
The required textbook has been ordered and should now be available.
A used version of the eighth edition would be an acceptable alternative
Additional required readings will be available on our course website including selected chapters
from:
Michael C. LeMay, Public Administration: Clashing Values in the Administration of
Public Policy, Wadsworth Publishing, 2006. ISBN# 0-534-60137Public Administration: Understanding
Management, Politics, and Law in the Public Sector, McGraw Hill, 2005
Jay M. Shafritz and Albert C. Hyde, Eds., Classics of Public Administration, Fourth
Edition, Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1997
Schedule
I - DEFINITIONS, CONCEPTS, AND SETTING
Week 1
Tue, Jan 17
of
In-Person Session
Welcome! Introductions & Course Overview, eCompanion, Discussion
Policy, Administration, Introducing some differences
Week 2
Tue, Jan 24
Team presentation
Guest Lecturer
In-Person Session
Key Concepts and Approaches to Study of Public Administration
Alan Zalkind, Director, Center for Government Services, Rutgers Univ.
Readings for Week 2:
Textbook:

Starling, Ch. 1, “The Nature of Public Administration”
Online:



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Rosenbloom, Ch. 1, “The Practice and Discipline of Public Administration: Competing
Concerns”
Woodrow Wilson, “The Study of Administration” in Shafritz and Hyde, Eds.
Marver H. Bernstein, “The Scope of Public Administration”, The Western Political
Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 1., Mar., 1952
Dwight Waldo, “Public Administration”, The Journal of Politics, Vol. 30, No. 2., May,
1968
H. George Frederickson, “The Repositioning of American Public Administration”, Political
Science and Politics, Vol. 32, No. 4., Dec., 1999
LeMay, Ch. 1, “Balancing Values in the Administration of Public Policy”
Data Research Exercise for Week 2
Case Study and Threaded Discussion
Week 3
On-Iine Session – Concurrent Office Hours
Tue, January 31 Overall Context, Administration in the
Federal System
Readings for Week 3:
Textbook:

Starling, Ch.2, “The Political-Legal Environment of Administration”
Online:



Herbert A. Simon, “Public Administration in Today's World of Organizations and
Markets”, Political Science and Politics, Vol. 33, No. 4, Dec., 2000
LeMay, Ch.2, “The Social, Political, Economic, and Environmental Context of
Administration”
LeMay, Ch. 4, “Administration in the Federal System: Intergovernmental Relations and
Constitutional Sources of Values”
II – PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS: INSTITUTIONAL SETTING AND POLITICAL RELATIONSHIPS
Week 4
IN-CLASS
Tue, Feb. 7
Public Organizations: Bureaucracy and Politics
Readings for Week 4:
Textbook:

Starling, Ch. 3, “Intergovernmental Relations”
Online:




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Max Weber, “Bureaucracy” in Shafritz and Hyde, Eds.
Helen Constas, “Max Weber's Two Conceptions of Bureaucracy”, The American Journal
of Sociology, Vol. 63, No. 4, Jan., 1958
B. Guy Peters, “The Problem of Bureaucratic Government”, The Journal of Politics, Vol.
43, No. 1, Feb., 1981
Francis E. Rourke, “The 1993 John Gaus Lecture: Whose Bureaucracy Is This, Anyway?”
Congress, the President and Public Administration”, Political Science and Politics, Vol.
26, No. 4, Dec., 1993
Dan Farrell; James C. Petersen, “Patterns of Political Behavior in Organizations”, The
Academy of Management Review, Vol. 7, No. 3, Jul., 1982
LeMay, Ch. 3, “The Anatomy of Public Organizations: Bureaucratic Power and Politics”
Week 5
HYBRID/ON-LINE Session
Tue, Feb 14
Administrative Responsibilities and Ethics
Readings for Week 5:
Textbook:

Starling, Ch. 4, “Administrative Responsibilities and Ethics”
Online:


LeMay, Ch. 5, “Alternative Theories of Organizational Behavior: Classic Models and
Ideological Sources of Values”
To be announced
Week 6
IN-CLASS SESSION
Tue, Feb 21
Management of Bureaucratic Organizations; Program Management
Readings for Week 6:
Textbook:

Starling, Ch. 5, “Planning”
Online:


Graham T. Allison, “Public and Private Management: Are They Fundamentally Alike in All
Unimportant Respects?” in Shafritz and Hyde, Eds.
LeMay, Ch. 7, “Management of Bureaucratic Organizations: The Strategic Use of Values
in Policy Making and Administration”
Week 7
HYBRID/ON-LINE SESSION
Tue, Feb 28
Decision Making
Readings for Week 7:
Textbook:

Starling, Chapter 6, "Decision Making"
Online:

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Eric M. Eisenberg; Marsha G. Witten, “Reconsidering Openness in Organizational
Communication”, The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 12, No. 3, Jul., 1987
John T. Dorsey, Jr., “A Communication Model for Administration”, Administrative
Science Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 3, Dec., 1957
LeMay, Ch. 11, “Communication Flows in Administration: The Fuzzing of Values”
Janet Fulk; Gerardine DeSanctis, “Electronic Communication and Changing
Organizational Forms”, Organization Science, Vol. 6, No. 4, Jul. - Aug., 1995
Week 8
IN-CLASS SESSION
Tue, Mar 6
Research and paper development
Textbook:

Starling, Chapter 7, "Organizing"
III – CORE FUNCTIONS IN ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC POLICY
Week 9
HYBRID/ONLINE SESSION
Tue, Mar 20
Leading and Leadership
Readings for Week 9:
Textbook:

Starling, Ch. 8, “Leading”
Online:


LeMay, Ch. 6, “Decision-making in the Administration of Public Policy”
LeMay, Ch. 10, “Leadership: The Chief Executive, the Bureaucracy, and the Search for
Accountability”
Week 10
IN-CLASS SESSION
Tue, Mar. 27
Program Implementation
Readings for Week 10:
Textbook:

Starling, Ch. 9, “Implementation”
Online:


Lewis Meriam, “Public Service--Occupation or Industry?”, The American Political Science
Review, Vol. 32, No. 4, Aug., 1938
John M. Pfiffner, “Trends in Public Personnel Organization”, The American Political
Science Review, Vol. 26, No. 2, Apr., 1932
Week 11
HYBRID/ONLINE SESSION
Tue, April 3
Financial Management, Budgeting
Readings for Week 11:
Textbook:

Starling, Chapter 11 “Public Financial Management”
Week 12
IN-CLASS SESSION
Tue, April 10
Human Resources Management
Preparation for Student Presentations
Readings for week 12:
Textbook:

Starling, Ch. 10, "Human Resources Management”
Online:
To be determined
Week 13
Online
Tue, April 17
Clientele Pressure, Evaluation of Public Policy
Readings for Week 13:
Textbook:
 Starling, Ch. 12 "Information Management"
Online Readings:

Arnold J. Meltsner, “The Seven Deadly Sins of Policy Analysis” in Shafritz and Hyde, Eds.
Week 14:
IN-PERSON SESSION
Tue, Apr. 24
CLASS
Conclusions/Class Overview, Class Evaluations, LAST
ANALYSIS PAPERS DUE
Grading Policy
Grading will be based on the following work effort distribution and assessment of quality:
Attendance and participation*
Short papers
Group Analysis paper
Final Analysis paper
Presentation
20%
25%
25%
15%
15%
Attendance
Attendance is required, both in person and in the on-line portions of the course. Absence and
non-participation will adversely affect your grade.
*Participation (in-class participation, news-sharing, online discussions):