PUB 300 Notes questions with correct
answers
Chapter 1 Study Notes - answersIn this Module, you will be introduced to what public
administration is and is not. According to Denhardt, Denhardt and Blanc (2014), "Public
Administration is concerned with the management of public programs" (p. 1). When
considering the integral aspects of public administration in the United States, we focus
of the values of democracy. These values include individualism, equality and liberty.
Public administration is different from business in the areas of ambiguity, pluralistic
decision making, and visibility. Understanding these differences is important as we
study the various aspects of public administration in future chapters.
Review the reasons to study public administration identified in the book. The issues
identified in public administration theory and practice are also important and these
points will be raised throughout the semester. Though public administration in the
abstract sometimes appears lifeless and remote, the real work of the practicing public
administrator is very interesting and is filled with challenging problems which the public
expects the administrators to solve (Denhardt, Denhardt & Blanc, 2014).
Chapter 2 - answersThe Political Context of PA
Chapter 2 Study Notes - answersIn this Module, we learn about the political context of
public administration. Public managers work in many different institutional settings, and
each of those institutions all reflect important political values that lie at the heart of a
democratic system. At the federal, state, and local levels of government, democracy's
values play a significant role that help ensure that government is operating in the
public's interest. Knowing something about how democratic values are relected in the
structure of the various organizations and knowing something about the role of
executive leadership in administrative organizations will enable you to act with greater
confidence and authority.
Understanding the four primary types of public policy and their respective roles in the
United States is important. The four types include regulatory, distributive, redistributive,
and constituent. Regulatory policy is designed to limit that actions of persons or groups
so as to protect the general public or a substantial portion of the public. For instance,
one type of regulatory policy focuses on illegal criminal activity, while another might
focus on measures designed to prevent pollution of our nation's air and water.
Distributive policy uses general tax revenues to provide benefits to individuals or groups
often through subsidies. Meanwhile, redistributive policies take taxes from certain
groups and give them to another group. As you might expect, redistributive policies are
usually very controversial. Finally, Constituent policies are intended to benefit the public
generally or to serve the government. Foreign and defense policies are good examples
of one type of constituent policies. Another type of constituent policies are those
,directed toward the agencies of government itself. Legislation affecting the structure and
function of govern
History - answers- There are about 88,000 local governments in the United States.
- They directly serve the needs of the people providing everything from police and fire
protection to sanitary codes, health regulations, education, public transportation, and
housing.
Three Forms of Government - answers- Mayor Council: this is the oldest of the three
and it is patterned after the federal and state government.
Strong mayor - has almost total administrative power.
Week mayor - has primary administrative control and limited powers of appointment.
Commission - answers- Consist of a group of at least three and often times five to
seven elected officials.
- This version of government originated in Texas in 1901. It is often called the Galveston
Plan.
- Each commissioner is responsible for one city department.
Council-Mayor - answers- This form of government was designed to resolve the issue
between politics and administration.
- Was first implemented in Stauton, Virginia in 1908.
- Today, almost 42% of local governments are run in this form. Most are considered
medium in size.
- There are two key players:
City Council
City Administrators
Roles of City Administrator - answers- Manages the City's business and carries out the
Council's plans and directions by coordinating the work of all the City's departments and
employees.
- Expends funds as authorized by the Council's budget.
- Hires city employees and may remove them.
- Makes recommendations and/or advises the City Council on legislation, financial
programs, capital improvements, policies, employment, and public services
- Investigates and acts on complaints
- Negotiates and administers contracts and agreements
- Keeps the Council informed of the City's business and financial condition.
Three Hats of City Administrator - answers1st: Chief Advisor to the City Council
2nd: Chief Executive to the organization
3rd: Point of entry and flow of information between the citizens and the local
government
, Potential Problems - answers- Lack of Job Security
At Will-Employee - the employer has the ability to terminate the employee at anytime for
any reason or no reason at all.
- Pressure from Council can lead to changes in management style. Micromanagement
- Keeping focus on the needs and interest of the people they serve.
Theories - answers- Maslow Hierarchy of Needs: Self Actualization
- Theory Y: Internal motivation to reach a goal
- Systems Approach: Evaluation of programs
Public Administrators and Citizens - answers1. The primary role of the public servant is
helping citizens articulate and meet their shared interests rather than attempting to
control or steer society in new directions.
2. Public administrators must make a creation of the collective, shared notion of the
public interest is paramount. The goal is not to find quick solutions driven by individual
choices. Rather, it is creation of shared interests and shared responsibility.
3. Policies and programs meeting public needs can be most effectively and responsibly
achieved through collective efforts and collaborative processes.
4. The public interest is the result of a dialogue about shared values rather than an
aggregation of individual self-interest. Therefore, public servants should not merely
respond to the demands of customers, but rather focus on building relationships of trust
and collaboration with and among citizens.
5. Public servants must be attentive to more than the market, they must also attend to
statutory and constitutional law, community values, political norms, professional
standards, and citizen interests.
6. Public organizations and the networks in they participate are more likely to be
successful in the long run if they are operated through processes of collaboration and
shared leadership based on respect for all people.
7. The public interest is better advanced by the public servant and citizens committed to
making meaningful contributions to society rather than by entrepreneurial managers
acting as if public money were their own. (Denhardt and Denhardt, 2000)
The Public Policy Process - answers- Stages in the Public Policy Process
1. Agenda Setting
2. Policy Formulation
3. Policy Legitimization
4. Policy Implementation
5. Policy Evaluation and Change (modification)
Stage 1 - Agenda Setting - answers- Through the agenda setting phase, certain
problems come to be viewed as needing action, whereas others maybe postponed.
- This phase may be viewed as the confluence of three streams of events:
Policy recognition
Policy generation, and
answers
Chapter 1 Study Notes - answersIn this Module, you will be introduced to what public
administration is and is not. According to Denhardt, Denhardt and Blanc (2014), "Public
Administration is concerned with the management of public programs" (p. 1). When
considering the integral aspects of public administration in the United States, we focus
of the values of democracy. These values include individualism, equality and liberty.
Public administration is different from business in the areas of ambiguity, pluralistic
decision making, and visibility. Understanding these differences is important as we
study the various aspects of public administration in future chapters.
Review the reasons to study public administration identified in the book. The issues
identified in public administration theory and practice are also important and these
points will be raised throughout the semester. Though public administration in the
abstract sometimes appears lifeless and remote, the real work of the practicing public
administrator is very interesting and is filled with challenging problems which the public
expects the administrators to solve (Denhardt, Denhardt & Blanc, 2014).
Chapter 2 - answersThe Political Context of PA
Chapter 2 Study Notes - answersIn this Module, we learn about the political context of
public administration. Public managers work in many different institutional settings, and
each of those institutions all reflect important political values that lie at the heart of a
democratic system. At the federal, state, and local levels of government, democracy's
values play a significant role that help ensure that government is operating in the
public's interest. Knowing something about how democratic values are relected in the
structure of the various organizations and knowing something about the role of
executive leadership in administrative organizations will enable you to act with greater
confidence and authority.
Understanding the four primary types of public policy and their respective roles in the
United States is important. The four types include regulatory, distributive, redistributive,
and constituent. Regulatory policy is designed to limit that actions of persons or groups
so as to protect the general public or a substantial portion of the public. For instance,
one type of regulatory policy focuses on illegal criminal activity, while another might
focus on measures designed to prevent pollution of our nation's air and water.
Distributive policy uses general tax revenues to provide benefits to individuals or groups
often through subsidies. Meanwhile, redistributive policies take taxes from certain
groups and give them to another group. As you might expect, redistributive policies are
usually very controversial. Finally, Constituent policies are intended to benefit the public
generally or to serve the government. Foreign and defense policies are good examples
of one type of constituent policies. Another type of constituent policies are those
,directed toward the agencies of government itself. Legislation affecting the structure and
function of govern
History - answers- There are about 88,000 local governments in the United States.
- They directly serve the needs of the people providing everything from police and fire
protection to sanitary codes, health regulations, education, public transportation, and
housing.
Three Forms of Government - answers- Mayor Council: this is the oldest of the three
and it is patterned after the federal and state government.
Strong mayor - has almost total administrative power.
Week mayor - has primary administrative control and limited powers of appointment.
Commission - answers- Consist of a group of at least three and often times five to
seven elected officials.
- This version of government originated in Texas in 1901. It is often called the Galveston
Plan.
- Each commissioner is responsible for one city department.
Council-Mayor - answers- This form of government was designed to resolve the issue
between politics and administration.
- Was first implemented in Stauton, Virginia in 1908.
- Today, almost 42% of local governments are run in this form. Most are considered
medium in size.
- There are two key players:
City Council
City Administrators
Roles of City Administrator - answers- Manages the City's business and carries out the
Council's plans and directions by coordinating the work of all the City's departments and
employees.
- Expends funds as authorized by the Council's budget.
- Hires city employees and may remove them.
- Makes recommendations and/or advises the City Council on legislation, financial
programs, capital improvements, policies, employment, and public services
- Investigates and acts on complaints
- Negotiates and administers contracts and agreements
- Keeps the Council informed of the City's business and financial condition.
Three Hats of City Administrator - answers1st: Chief Advisor to the City Council
2nd: Chief Executive to the organization
3rd: Point of entry and flow of information between the citizens and the local
government
, Potential Problems - answers- Lack of Job Security
At Will-Employee - the employer has the ability to terminate the employee at anytime for
any reason or no reason at all.
- Pressure from Council can lead to changes in management style. Micromanagement
- Keeping focus on the needs and interest of the people they serve.
Theories - answers- Maslow Hierarchy of Needs: Self Actualization
- Theory Y: Internal motivation to reach a goal
- Systems Approach: Evaluation of programs
Public Administrators and Citizens - answers1. The primary role of the public servant is
helping citizens articulate and meet their shared interests rather than attempting to
control or steer society in new directions.
2. Public administrators must make a creation of the collective, shared notion of the
public interest is paramount. The goal is not to find quick solutions driven by individual
choices. Rather, it is creation of shared interests and shared responsibility.
3. Policies and programs meeting public needs can be most effectively and responsibly
achieved through collective efforts and collaborative processes.
4. The public interest is the result of a dialogue about shared values rather than an
aggregation of individual self-interest. Therefore, public servants should not merely
respond to the demands of customers, but rather focus on building relationships of trust
and collaboration with and among citizens.
5. Public servants must be attentive to more than the market, they must also attend to
statutory and constitutional law, community values, political norms, professional
standards, and citizen interests.
6. Public organizations and the networks in they participate are more likely to be
successful in the long run if they are operated through processes of collaboration and
shared leadership based on respect for all people.
7. The public interest is better advanced by the public servant and citizens committed to
making meaningful contributions to society rather than by entrepreneurial managers
acting as if public money were their own. (Denhardt and Denhardt, 2000)
The Public Policy Process - answers- Stages in the Public Policy Process
1. Agenda Setting
2. Policy Formulation
3. Policy Legitimization
4. Policy Implementation
5. Policy Evaluation and Change (modification)
Stage 1 - Agenda Setting - answers- Through the agenda setting phase, certain
problems come to be viewed as needing action, whereas others maybe postponed.
- This phase may be viewed as the confluence of three streams of events:
Policy recognition
Policy generation, and
