Study Guide for Exam Two PAD3003 03 Spring 2012 Week 8 Chapter 4 Public Decision Making 1 What does it mean to say that people satisfice in decision making He contended that there s too much information in most decisions for people to comprehensively maximize Instead they use Bounded Rationality and choose an acceptable outcome rather than seek the best outcome 2 How is the rational model different from satisficing based on microeconmics where man maximizes his self interest in a rational way thus this model assumes that self interest determines how decisions are made 3 What is Groupthink How did Group think contribute to the Challenger accident Incomplete survey of alternatives Incomplete survey of objectives Failure to examine risks of preferred choice Failure to reevaluate previously rejected alternatives Inadequate information search Failure to work out contingency plans After the accident there was a presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident or the Rogers Commission to determine what happened and provide recommendations to ensure it did not happen again and to promote overall safe procedures for space flights The Rogers Commission issues its report on June 9 1986 six months after the accident 4 Why does the feeling of invulnerability in a group sometimes lead to groupthink Illusions of invulnerability creating excessive optimism and encouraging risk taking 5 What are some ways that Groupthink can be prevented in an organization I Create a culture that accepts welcomes and encourages candid dialogue and debate Cultivate a questioning attitude by encouraging staff to challenge the assumptions and actions of the organization in staff discussions and policy formulation II Include the risks of the policy actions in discussions III Create multiple channels for dissent IV Create clear understanding about the boundary of dissent and when cohesive acceptance is necessary 6 What does it mean to make a decision by consensus representatives of all the policy positions the interests agree on the option in a small group everyone has to agree with the solution How would you define organized anarchy as March and Simon call the process of decision making called the garbage can model 7 a Organized anarchy is defined as organizations characterized by problematic preferences unclear technology and fluid participation Cohen March and Olsen 1972 A major feature of the garbage can model is the partial decoupling of problems and choices there are many situations in organizations that solutions are proposed before problems are identified especially when organizations are faced with a great deal of ambiguity conflicts uncertainty and variable environment b Thus the garbage can model views decisions as the result of unique combinations of people problems solutions and choices of opportunities at a given time and place 8 Who said Man satisfices because he does not have the wits to maximize in decision making t is one of the most famous economic and organizational theory quotes Herbert Simon Week 8 Chapter 11 Ethics and Public Administration 1 What is the study of ethics all about A body of principles or standards of human conduct that govern the behavior of individuals and groups 12 ethical obligations public interest humanity religion god constitution law nation democracy organizational norm professionalism fam and friends self middle range collectives 2 What are the most common types of corruption in government Bribery and abuse of formal authority 3 On page 360 there are examples of ethical and unethical as well as legal and illegal behavior by federal government employees Paul works at the Internal revenue Service A private trade association offers to pay her to teach a short course on a new taxpayer assistance program that the IRS is implementing May Paula accept the offer Why or why not 4 May federal government employees accept gifts from business or lobbyist representatives What are some key characteristics that define this rule Nope Offering giving receiving or soliciting of something of value for the purpose of influencing the action of an official in the discharge of his or her public or legal duties 5 Was Watergate an example of corruption in government If so why Do you think President Nixon should have resigned or not Yes Nixon was abusing his use of power by bugging the White house and he wasn t being accountable for his actions Further he tried to use executive privilege as an excuse to withhold the tapes He was also bribing the burgulars 6 Define whistleblowing Do you think it is a legitimate action by government employees Why or why not An action of exposing to the public or person organization with authority about the wrong doings within an organization Yes I think it s legitimate in the sense that the public has the right to know harmful actions of an organization so that they may make educated decisions regarding said organization 7 Be able to recognize part of the Athenian Oath of Office We will never bring disgrace on this our City by an act of dishonesty or cowardice We will fight for the ideals and Sacred Things of the City both alone and with many We will revere and obey the City s laws and will do our best to incite a like reverence and respect in those above us who are prone to annul them or set them at naught We will strive increasingly to quicken the public s sense of civic duty Thus in all these ways we will transmit this City not only not less but greater and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us 8 What did the Tuskegee experiments do Why do we have Institutional Research Boards at government agencies to approve research procedures on study participants Meant to monitor untreated syphilis the individuals who participated did not know if they had syphilis or not Wasn t ethical because the researchers weren t treating known cases of syphilis when there was a known cure there was also no informed consent for the study participants were prohibited from accessing treatment programs available in the area The IRB is meant to protect the human subject participating in the study Week 9 Chapter 3 Managing Human Resources 1 What was president Andrew Jackson known for in terms of hiring employees Government by a common man patronage and spoils rampant 2 When was the first federal civil service act passed and why 1983 After Pres Garfield assassinated by a man who wanted to be ambassador 3 Be able to compare key characteristics of the patronage system
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