POLISCI 2546 – Midterm Exam Questions and Verified Solutions
What are the two perspectives of conceptualizing Public Administration? - 1. as a field of
study
2. as a field of practice
Wilsons "The study of Administration" - - 1887
- starting point for public administration
- Government should be run like a business
- politics and administrations should operate in different spheres
- when making decisions politics rely on administration to make decisions
- implement policy through the decisions made
Important Canadian Developments - - 1947: IPAC
- 1958: CPA
- 1987: CAPPA
Perspective Two: As a field of Practice - - The Bureaucracy
Who is the Personnel of the Bureaucracy? - - Personnel (who work for the government)
- Merit principle:
(1) working for the government - not a specific government (liberal/conservative)
(2) Not in favour of one particularly politician, but for the government itself
(3) Not hired based on who they know, but hired for what they know
(4) No nepotism
The Bureaucracy: Formal Rules - - Need to ensure, and demonstrate that their services are
being provided in a equitable manner
- structure through which public service is provided
, The Bureaucracy: Policy Instruments - Tools that governments use to provide services, and
enforce regulations
The Bureaucracy: Conventions of Behaviour - - informal rules
- culture and norms (important organizational culture)
Public Administration v. Business Administration - - Goal Measurement: public internest v.
profit
- Human Resources constraints: merit v. representatives
- efficiency v. equity
- accountability: politicians and public v. media scrutiny
Private Sector - Purpose: Provision of private goods and services through commercial
activity
Goals: Simple, economic
Service Recipients: Customers, clients
Criteria of Success: profitability
Evaluation of Success: Financial, objective
Accountable to: owners/shareholders
Operational Environment: marketplace, business realm, private
Focus on management: one-dimnsion
Skills of Management: business oriented
Public Sector - Purpose: Provision of public services
What are the two perspectives of conceptualizing Public Administration? - 1. as a field of
study
2. as a field of practice
Wilsons "The study of Administration" - - 1887
- starting point for public administration
- Government should be run like a business
- politics and administrations should operate in different spheres
- when making decisions politics rely on administration to make decisions
- implement policy through the decisions made
Important Canadian Developments - - 1947: IPAC
- 1958: CPA
- 1987: CAPPA
Perspective Two: As a field of Practice - - The Bureaucracy
Who is the Personnel of the Bureaucracy? - - Personnel (who work for the government)
- Merit principle:
(1) working for the government - not a specific government (liberal/conservative)
(2) Not in favour of one particularly politician, but for the government itself
(3) Not hired based on who they know, but hired for what they know
(4) No nepotism
The Bureaucracy: Formal Rules - - Need to ensure, and demonstrate that their services are
being provided in a equitable manner
- structure through which public service is provided
, The Bureaucracy: Policy Instruments - Tools that governments use to provide services, and
enforce regulations
The Bureaucracy: Conventions of Behaviour - - informal rules
- culture and norms (important organizational culture)
Public Administration v. Business Administration - - Goal Measurement: public internest v.
profit
- Human Resources constraints: merit v. representatives
- efficiency v. equity
- accountability: politicians and public v. media scrutiny
Private Sector - Purpose: Provision of private goods and services through commercial
activity
Goals: Simple, economic
Service Recipients: Customers, clients
Criteria of Success: profitability
Evaluation of Success: Financial, objective
Accountable to: owners/shareholders
Operational Environment: marketplace, business realm, private
Focus on management: one-dimnsion
Skills of Management: business oriented
Public Sector - Purpose: Provision of public services
