Bureaucracy and
the Policy Process
POLS 330 – Fall 2004
I. Introduction
In order to adequately
evaluate the American political environment one must take on, as political
scientists, the challenge of understanding bureaucracy. In this course, we will examine a
number of questions surrounding public bureaucracies, including: What is the origin of the American
bureaucratic system? How has it
progressed and evolved into its current form? Why are bureaucrats reviled in some instances and revered in
others? How can or should
unelected government officials be made more accountable to their elected
counterparts and to the citizens they serve? Is it accurate, or even fair, to carve out public
bureaucracy as the Òfourth branch of government?Ó
In addressing these and
many other questions, we will rely heavily on the study of real-life cases in
several areas of public policy, including homeland security, education, the
environment, law enforcement, and social welfare.
II. Contact and Meeting Information
Instructor
Trent Davis
Office: Zulauf 424
Phone: 753-7051 (office)
E-mail: tdavis2@niu.edu
Office Hours: MWF 10:00 to
11:00am, or by appointment
Class meetings
MWF 11:00 to 11:50am, DU459
III. Required Course Materials
The following textbooks are
required for this course:
IV. Course Assignments and Grading Policy
This section provides an
outline of the assignments/exams required for this course and the weight
(i.e., percentage of your grade) each exercise will carry.
Attendance/Participation 10%
Midterm Exam 20%
Cumulative Final Exam 35%
Presentation and Memo 15%
Research Paper 20%
100%
The following grading scale
will be utilized:
90 – 100% A
80 – 89% B
70 – 79% C
60 – 69% D
Below 60% F
V. Presentation and Memo Assignment
As mentioned in the
introduction, this course will rely heavily upon the use of case studies. These studies revolve around topical
examples drawn from the world of bureaucratic politics and performance. We will discuss significant and/or
illustrative events in the history of American governance, such as impossible
or implausible jobs, success stories, and ignominies.
Presentation
First, working together in
groups, you will provide the class with a 15 – 20 minute presentation covering one of the case studies. In brief, your job as a group will be
to provide the class with a succinct summary of each article or chapter in the
case study, an analysis of the problem(s) and question(s) being presented, the
relationship that these problems and questions have to other course materials
(i.e., required readings and core theories), and the steps necessary to resolve
these problems and questions. When
preparing your presentation, you are encouraged to utilize the various
technologies at your disposal, such as Power Point or handouts. Ultimately, it is up to each group to
decide the best way in which to present their case study material. There is, however, one exception: each
group member must actively engage in the development, presentation, and
discussion processes.
After the presentation, the
group will open the floor up to the rest of the class. The presenting students will be
expected to moderate this discussion by answering any questions concerning the
case study materials and/or theories presented. Please bear in mind that the readings contained in the case
studies and the information presented in class is considered testable.
Therefore, during these discussions all students will be expected to demonstrate 1)
successful mastery of the facts and 2) the ability to draw broader lessons from
the case study materials. In
addition, it is during these in-class discussions that a significant portion of
the class participation grade will be awarded.
Memo
In addition to the
presentation, each group member is
required to draft a memo analyzing the relationship between the real-life
example and theory. Be sure to
discuss the following points:
Which theory or theories does the real-life example support and
why? Which theory or theories does
the real-life example reject and why?
Does the administrative behavior being discussed lend itself favorably
to our conventional understanding of public bureaucracy and why or why not?
When addressing the
abovementioned points be sure to provide a brief summary of each theory you
chose to discuss. However, please
note that the bulk of your memo should be comprised of your own analysis, rather
than a summation of theories.
Your memo should conform to
the following guidelines:
VI. Research Paper
The primary writing
assignment for this course is an 8 – 10 page formal research paper (be
sure to follow the standard paper format provided below). I must approve your topic in advance; however, you may essentially write on any topic
related to bureaucracy and an area of public policy that you so choose. A paragraph
in which you clearly state the proposed topic for your term paper is due on September
24.
The final paper is due on November 22. In general,
late papers will not be accepted. Please
note: You
are not to do your term paper on the same topic as your presentation/memo.
Your research
paper should conform to the following guidelines:
VII. Undergraduate Writing Awards
The Department of Political
Science will recognize, on an annual basis, outstanding undergraduate papers
written in conjunction with 300 - 400 level political science courses or
directed studies. Authors do not
have to be political science majors or have a particular class standing. Winners are expected to attend the
DepartmentÕs spring graduation ceremony where they will receive a certificate
and $50.00. Papers, which can be
submitted by students or faculty, must be supplied in triplicate to a
department secretary by February 28.
All copies should have two cover pages – one with the studentÕs
name and one without the studentÕs name.
Only papers written in the previous calendar year can be considered for
the award. However, papers
completed in the current spring semester are eligible for the following yearÕs
competition even if the student has graduated.
IIX. Academic Integrity
Honesty is the essence of the intellectual
life of the university. Students,
who copy the work of another on an examination, an assignment, a paper, are
guilty of cheating. The
misrepresentation of another's work as your own, copying material from books,
magazines, or other resources without acknowledgement and identification of
those sources is plagiarism. If a
student is guilty of either cheating or plagiarism, or of assisting other
students in cheating or plagiarism on an assignment, paper, quiz, or
examination, the student may receive a grade of F for the course and may be
suspended or dismissed from the university. Please consult the UniversityÕs website if you have further
questions concerning this policy.
IX. Statement Concerning Students with
Disabilities
Under Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, NIU is committed to making reasonable
accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. Those students with disabilities that
may have some impact on their coursework and for which they may require
accommodations should notify the Center for Access-Ability Resources (CAAR) on
the fourth floor of the Health Services Building. CAAR will assist students in making appropriate accommodations
with course instructors. It is
important that CAAR and instructors be informed of any disability-related needs
during the first two weeks of the semester.
X. Department of Political Science Website
Undergraduates are strongly
encouraged to consult the Department of Political Science website on a regular
basis. This up-to-date, central
source of information will assist students in contacting faculty and staff,
reviewing course requirements and syllabi, exploring graduate study, researching
career options, tracking department events, and accessing important details
related to undergraduate programs and activities. To reach the site, go to http://polisci.niu.ed.
XI. Weekly Class Schedule
Week 1: Rise of the American Administrative
State
Monday, August 23
Course Introduction
Wednesday, August 25
The American Administrative
State
Read: Rosenbloom, chapter 2 and Ôskim overÕ
chapter 3
Friday, August 27
The American Administrative
State, cont.
Week 2: Politics-Administration Dichotomy, Part
I
Monday, August 30
The American Administrative
State, cont.
Overview of the Blackboard
Course Server and case study sign-up
Wednesday, September 1
Public Administration Theory: A
primer
Read: Wilson, W. (1887), ÒThe Study of
AdministrationÓ pgs. 197-222 [on-line] and
Goodnow, F. (1900), ÒPolitics and Administration: A Study of governmentÓ
pgs. 1-22 [packet]
Friday, September 3
Public Administration
Theory: A primer, cont.
Read: Svara, J. (1985), ÒDichotomy and
Duality: Reconceptualizing the
Relationship between Policy and Administration in Council-Manager CitiesÓ pgs.
221-232 [on-line]
Week 3:
Politics-Administration Dichotomy, Part II
Monday, September 6
Labor Day – No Class
Wednesday, September 8
The Revisionist Debate
Read: Martin, D. (1988), ÒThe
Fading Legacy of Woodrow WilsonÓ pgs. 631-636 [on-line] and
Svara, J. (1998), ÒThe Politics-Administration Dichotomy Model as AberrationÓ
pgs. 51-57
[on-line] and
Svara, J. (2001), ÒThe Myth of the Dichotomy: Complementarity of Politics and
Administration in the Past and Future of Public AdministrationÓ pgs. 176-183
[on-line]
Friday, September 10
Case Study I: Waco
Read: Case I material from
packet
Week 4: American Bureaucracy:
Size and Structure
Monday, September 13
Federal structure, size of the
American bureaucracy, organization theory
Read: Meier, pgs. 15-19 and Rosenbloom,
chapter 4
Wednesday, September 15
Federal structure, size of the
American bureaucracy, organization theory, cont.
Internal and external sources of
power
Read: Meier, pgs. 48-67
Friday, September 17
Case Study II: Homeland
Security: Then and Now
Read: Case II material from
packet
Week 5: Public Personnel
Systems
Monday, September 20
Public Personnel Administration
and Collective Bargaining
Read: Meier, pgs. 29-37 and Rosenbloom,
chapter 5
Wednesday, September 22
Public Personnel Administration
and Collective Bargaining, cont.
Friday, September 24
Case Study III: Impossible Jobs:
Part 1
Read: Case III material from
packet
Research Topic Proposals Due
Week 6: Budgeting and Finance
Monday, September 27
Size and growth of budgets,
budgetary process
Read: Rosenbloom, pgs.
259-291
Wednesday, September 29
Theories of budgeting
Read: Rosenbloom, pgs.
291-309
Friday, October 1
Case Study IV: Internal Revenue
Service: 1998 Reforms
Read: Case IV material from
packet
Week 7: Policy Typologies
Monday, October 4
Regulatory and Redistributive
Policy
Read: Meier, pgs. 69-87
Wednesday, October 6
Distributive and Constituent
Policy
Read: Meier, pgs. 88-102
Friday, October 8
Case Study V: Welfare
Reform
Read: Case V material from
packet
Week 8: Decision Making
Monday, October 11
Decision Making Models
Read: Rosenbloom, chapter 7
Wednesday, October 13
Decision Making Models, cont.
Mid-term Q & A
Friday, October 15
MID-TERM EXAM – Bring Blue Book
Week 9: The PublicÕs
Expectations of Bureaucracy
Monday, October 18
The publicÕs expectations and
perceptions of bureaucracy
Read: Meier, chapter 5 and Rosenbloom,
chapter 10
Wednesday, October 20
The publicÕs expectations and
perceptions of bureaucracy, cont.
Friday, October 22
Case Study VI: Impossible Jobs:
Part II
Read: Case VI material from
packet
Week 10: Controlling the
Bureaucracy: Part I
Monday, October 25
External controls
Read: Meier, chapter 6
Wednesday, October 27
External controls, cont.
Friday, October 29
Case Study VII: Reagan and the
EPA
Read: Case VII material from
packet
Week 11: Controlling
Bureaucracy: Part II
Monday, November 1
Accountability and ethics
Read: Meier, chapter 7 and Rosenbloom,
chapter 12
Wednesday, November 3
Accountability and ethics, cont.
ICMA code of ethics
Friday, November 5
Case Study IIX: Impossible Jobs:
Part III
Read: Case IIX material from
packet
Week 12: Public Administration
and Democratic Constitutionalism
Monday, November 8
Administrative Structure v.
Constitutional Structure
Read: Rosenbloom, pgs.
477-485
Wednesday, November 10
Constitutional values,
constitutional law
Read Rosenbloom, pgs. 485-514
Friday, November 12
Case Study IX: Bureaucracy and
Education
Read: Case IX material from
packet
Week 13: Reforming the
Bureaucracy: The Case
Monday, November 15
Constitutional values,
constitutional law, cont.
Wednesday, November 17
Reforming the American system of
bureaucracy
Read: Meier, chapter 8
Friday, November 19
Case Study X: Foster Care: New
York
Read: Case X material from
packet
Week 14: Reforming the
Bureaucracy: The Future, Part I
Monday, November 22
Reforming the American system of
bureaucracy
Read: Meier, chapter 8 and
Rosenbloom, chapter 13
Research Papers Due
Wednesday, November 24
Thanksgiving Holiday – No
class
Friday, November 26
Thanksgiving Holiday – No
class
Week 15: Reforming the
Bureaucracy: The Future, Part II
Monday, November 29
The National Performance Review
Read: Osborne, D. and
Gaebler, T. (1992), ÒReinventing GovernmentÓ chapter 11 [packet] and DeLeon, L. and
Denhardt, R. (2000), ÒThe Political Theory of ReinventionÓ pgs. 89-97 [on-line]
Wednesday, December 1
Course Wrap-up
Final Exam Q & A
Friday, December 3
Study Day – No class
FINAL EXAM – TBA, Bring Blue Book
Please
note: The instructor reserves the right to
change the course schedule/requirements as necessary.