Syllabus
Principles of Public Management, Spring 2015
10:833:360 10:501:360
Spring 2015, Tuesdays, 9:50-11:10 AM
Scott Hall - 43 College Avenue, Room 214
Marc Pfeiffer, Instructor
Civic Square Building, Room 397
O - 848-932-2830 C - 609-306-7513
Marc.Pfeiffer@rutgers.edu
Office hours immediately after class and by appointment
Course Overview:
Description 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 public policy and public administration, and how each can and does affect the other.
Throughout the course, we will analyze current news events 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 is divided into three parts:
1 – Political Management
2 – Program Management
3 – Resources Management
In Part 1 of the course, we will learn the basic definitions, concepts and the overall context of
public administration in the United States. In Part 2, 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. Part 3 will focus on
the core functions of public organizations, such as: decision making, leadership, public personnel
administration, and budgeting and finance. We will conclude by focusing on administrative law,
clientele pressure and evaluation of public policy.
eCompanion-Hybrid:
This is a hybrid course: our weekly 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 provided on our “Pearson Learning Suite”
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.
Quizzes
The course will have a short online quiz each week based primarily on the readings and text that
will be discussed in class. Each quiz is typically worth 25 points and generally consists of 15 points
in multiple-choice, true false, and/or "fill in" format, and possibly, a one or two short answer
question worth 5 or 10 points. The quizzes will close at the start of the class where the material
will be discussed. It is expected you will read and study the readings, then take the quiz. Once
you start the quiz, you will only have an hour to complete it. The quiz will open several days
before class starts.
I will provide the short answer question prior to the quiz start date so you may construct your
essay in a more leisurely manner in word (or whatever) and simply copy and paste the final essay
into the exam where appropriate.
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 Dean of Students
and, if found guilty, will be punished (suspended/expelled) by the university. An educational video
module on plagiarism is available at:
www.library.camden.rutgers.edu/educationalmodule/plagiarism
You are responsible to read, understand, and apply the Rutgers Policy on
Academic Integrity at the Rutgers Academic Integrity Website.
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 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 0495-83319-3, ISBN#13 978-0-495-83319-2
The required textbook should be available during the first week of class. It is also available as an
online document.
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# 0-534-60137-5

David H. Rosenbloom and Robert S. Kravchuk, Public 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
PART 1 – POLITICAL MANAGEMENT
DEFINITIONS, CONCEPTS, AND SETTING
Schedule
Week 1
Tuesday, Jan 20
Welcome! Introductions & Course Overview, eCompanion, Discussion of
Policy, Administration, Introducing some differences
Reading for Week 1
Textbook
Starling, Chapter 1 “The Nature of Public Administration”
Wilson article (Doc Sharing) and online discussion
Week 2
Tuesday, Jan 27
Key Concepts and Approaches to Study of Public Administration
Readings for Week 2:
Textbook:
Starling, Ch. 2, “The Political-Legal Environment of Administration"
Online:




Water Case study (Doc Sharing)
Rosenbloom, Ch. 1, “The Practice and Discipline of Public Administration: Competing
Concerns”
Fox, "Understanding Administrative Law," Chapter 1
Woodrow Wilson, “The Study of Administration” in Shafritz and Hyde, Eds.


Online reading assessment (short quiz) from Chapter 1
Online reading assessment (short quiz) from Chapter 2
Federalism Case Study and Threaded Discussion
Week 3
Tuesday, Feb 3
Overall Context, Administration in a Federal System
Readings for Week 3:
Textbook:


Starling, Ch.3, “Intergovernmental Relations”
Online Reading Assessment
Week 4
Tuesday, Feb. 10
Public Organizations: Responsibility and Ethics
Readings for Week 4:
Textbook:


Starling, Ch. 4, “Administrative Responsibility and Ethics”
Online Reading Assessment
Online:

Selected shared document
PART 2 - PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
Week 5
Tuesday, Feb 17
Administrative Responsibilities and Ethics
Possible Guest Lecturer
Program Management Phase Begins with Chapter 5, Planning
Readings for Week 5:
Textbook:


Starling, Ch. 5, “Planning”
Online Reading Assessment
Online:

Current budget exercise to be announced
Week 6
Tuesday, Feb 24
Decision Making
Readings for Week 6:
Textbook:


Starling, Ch. 6, “Decision Making”
Online reading assessment
Online:


Graham T. Allison, “Public and Private Management: Are They Fundamentally Alike in All
Unimportant Respects?” in Shafritz and Hyde, Eds.
Online assignment TBA
Week 7
Tuesday, Mar. 3
Organizing
Readings for Week 7:
Textbook:


Starling, Chapter 7, "Organizing"
Online assessment of readings
Group project assignment
Week 8
Tuesday, Mar 10
Leading & Leadership
Research Paper and Development
Readings for Week 8:
Textbook:


Starling, Chapter 8, "Leading"
Online reading assessment
RECESS Week
Tuesday, Mar 17
SPRING BREAK
Week 9
Tuesday, Mar 24
Implementation
Readings for Week 9:
Textbook:


Starling, Ch. 9, “Implementation”
Online assessment
PART 3 - RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Week 10
Tuesday, March 31
Human Resources Management
Readings for Week 10:
Textbook:


Starling, Ch. 10, “Human Resources Management”
Online reading assessment
Week 11
Week 11
Tuesday, April 7
Financial Management, Budgeting
Readings for Week 11:
Textbook:


Starling, Chapter 11 “Public Financial Management”
Online reading assessment
Week 12
Tuesday, April 14
Information Management
Preparation for Student Presentations
Readings for Week 12:
Textbook:


Starling, Ch. 12, "Information Management"
Online reading assessment
Online: To be determined
Week 13
Tuesday, April 21
Clientele Pressure, Evaluation of Public Policy
Readings for Week 13:
Online only:

Arnold J. Meltsner, “The Seven Deadly Sins of Policy Analysis” in Shafritz and Hyde, Eds.
Week 14
Tuesday, April 28
LAST CLASS
Conclusions/Class Overview, Class Evaluations
ANALYSIS PAPERS DUE
Grading Policy Grading will be based on the following approximate work effort distribution and assessment of
quality (you may explore the gradebook for a detailed alignment of assessments and weights):
Attendance and participation*
Short papers
Quizzes
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):