Doing Government Work: Public Administration in the U.S

Catalog description

This course focuses on how governments, particularly governments in the United States, do their work. The topic is often called "public administration," or "implementation," or "bureaucratic politics." It involves what James Q. Wilson calls government "operators" such as teachers, public health doctors, agricultural extension agents, grant administrators and Seal teams. Their actions depend on their own values; conflict among political authorities, and on what is needed to perform specific tasks. We will begin by discussing the challenges of organizing to do anything, or organization theory; turn to the peculiar political context of administration in the United States; and apply these understandings to specific government activities. Students should emerge with a better understanding of why government agencies do what they do, and why they succeed or fail. Offered as POSC 385 and POSC 485 . Counts as a Disciplinary Communication course.