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| When: |
01/06/10 - 03/10/10 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Wednesdays
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| Professor: |
James Desveaux
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| TA: | |
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Location: | Seminar 318, Floor 3, Room 318
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Syllabus: |
None Defined
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| Description: |
This course is about problems of public sector management, focusing on both political and technical aspects of managing and controlling public sector organizations. It’s not possible to cover every aspect of bureaucracy and its management. Hence, we’ll focus on a few areas, some of which should be known to every student of bureaucracy, and a couple of others that are not only important, but of topical interest.
We will spend a significant part of the course examining the relationship between public bureaucracy and politics. How do public managers navigate in a political environment where democratic institutions are divided and fragmented? We live in interesting times, and this class will address some of the issues that are relevant to our period. In particular, we’ll explore some of the causes that have led to perceived failures in public management and bureaucracy today. These are: managing bureaucracy in a system of fragmented political institutions in an atmosphere of conflict, trust, and change/reorganization. Why is the task of the bureaucrat in the United States different and, in many ways, more challenging than it is for bureaucrats in other countries? How do bureaucrats deal with multiple, competing political masters, and the influence of interest groups? Why is change so problematic? And why, today, are so many opinion leaders focusing on the problem of competence in our public service?
The first part of the course, albeit brief, will be devoted to understanding the evolution of modern bureaucracy in industrial countries, with particular emphasis on similarities and differences between the United States and Western Europe. What is the connection between modern bureaucracy, democracy, and the rule of law? What did modern bureaucracy replace?
Next, we will learn about the difficulties of managing public agencies in the face of conflicting and often very well articulated interests. What does it mean for a bureaucrat to be accountable in a political system in which there are so many voices demanding different things, and where power is fragmented? We’ll examine the problem of agencies and interests by paying attention to the historical context for these relationships, as well as trying to understand the structural connections between bureaucracy and interests.
We’ll then take a break from the more abstract stuff, and discuss some contemporary issues, focusing on what’s currently happening in Washington, matters that concern and affect bureaucracy. This part of the course is intended to be flexible, and so there will be plenty of opportunity for students to discuss issues that they’ve encountered in, say, their internships in Washington.
Toward the end of the term, and given some of the debate about the benefits of public vs. private sector management, we will turn our attention to the problem of bureaucratic structure, and the possible alternatives to administrative hierarchy and variations in the design of public agencies. What distinguishes bureaucracies from market organization? What are the norms that govern its behavior, and what difference does that make? Where does trust come into play, and why does it matter?
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