Carina Tenaglia PAD 3003 Reading Notes Week 1 2 Ch 13 Public Service and Popular Culture I Public Servants a Public service embodies the ethical principles of the common good services to others and social equity i Essential for public education health justice etc b Calling to public service as based on a duty or an intense inner commitment to a cause that extends beyond exigencies of the moment c Public servants i Want to achieve internal satisfaction ii Roots traced back to Athenian Oath 1 Heavily emphasized by James Madison Federalist Papers 45 2 Root of common good from interconnectedness of individuals especially community iii Increased volunteerism goal since 1960s Kennedy II The Image of the Public Servant a Popular culture reinforcing contrast btw new employees well entrenched bureaucrats i Individuals stifled loss of independence pride initiative 1 Directing energies office politics promotions b Bureaucratic behavior i Not harmless impersonal insensitive ineffective response to public c Image of civil servants being guilty by association w political superiors i Difference between elected appointed d Misapplication of a bureaucracy e Broad labels taint characters of civil servants i Suggest that all civil servants secretly aspire for private gain ii Corruption anywhere tarnishes image of gov t everywhere iii Mistaken image of public servants as 1 Untrustworthy inept incapable entangled in red tape iv Bureaucracy image 1 Weak stifling demoralizing corrupting impersonal unjust III The Real Public Servant a Government an organized entity subject to public accountability whose officials are popularly elected or appointed by public officials and which has sufficient discretion in the management of its affairs to distinguish it as separate from the administrative structure of any other gov t unit i Types of gov ts local districts 1 Counties municipalities townships school districts special ii Over 35 000 local gov t entities municipal townships 1 Over 14 million public servants iii States conduits between local and federal gov t b Nonprofit sector Invisible i ii Not formal gov ts but receive gov t funding deliver public services 1 Achieve service goals not profit goals iii Many public services also delivered by private organizations 1 For or non for profit public private partnerships i City Manager received prestigious award for long career of dedication c City Manager Excerpt and honest work w integrity d 2008 Award Case of Polk County i County made investment in employees to face 3 challenges 1 Implemented training certificate programs orientations for new employees emerging leaders programs training for potential future promotions suggestions program w monetary benefit kudos satisfaction surveys e Case of Iowa i Iowa has changed contrary to image that bureaucracies do not through Charter Agencies programs f NYC Department of Environmental Protection i PlaNYC as most ambitious urban enviro agenda IV Capturing the Attention of Youth a Public service not solely provided by those who work for the state i Cultivating culture of service especially in those 18 24 since 9 11 ii Many go into Peace Corps help w religious or local organizations V Public Information a Service as intangible income b Public administration s target must be multifaceted i Needs to capture imagination of present future students in field ii Need to develop strategies to eradicate negative views of bureaucrats iii Need to educate gov ts critics VI Networks and Professional Organizations a Networking as a big aspect of public service community b Networks examples i American Society for Public Administration ASPA ii Alliance 4 Public Service iii International City County Management Association ICMA 501c3 Ch 1 I Government Requires Resources a Gov t has power to tax constitutionally by local state fed agencies i Sovereign bodies w unique powers 14 Departments ii GDP used to gauge nation s economy measure based on amount of goods services produced within the borders of the US 1 Public sector makes up large of GDP about 32 iii Common levies taxes income property inheritance excise tax 1 Large part of gov t funding from employment taxes a Used to support retirees disabled citizens i SS benefits Medicaid Medicare insurance iv Some gov t revenue from fees small amount b Spending in public sector i Largely on defense int l programs ii iii Federal spending 65 of all gov t expenditures Insurance programs Social Security Medicare 1 State local 35 II III c Decreasing federal labor force increasing state local w more employees i But total gov t employment somewhat consistent What Do We Get for All of These Resources a Rules and regulations for things like noises and safe drinking water i These agencies enable us to go about routines safely How Government is Organized to Deliver Services a Interstate Highway System i Legislation for highways but no program to initiate building b Federal Housing Administration i Largest provider of mortgage insurance in the world c Consumer Protection i Bureau of Consumer Protection through FTC works to protect consumers against unfair deceptive or fraudulent practices d National Weather Service e Federal Student Financial Aid Programs f Food and Drug Safety Programs i Advancing public health accurate affordable safer goods meds g Federal Emergency Response FEMA h AMTRAK train operator in 46 states i US Post Office j Organizational Chart of Municipality Burlington NJ How Government Serves Others a Intro IV i Gov t has created a special tax status for nonprofits 501 c 3 1 These non profits cannot be owned by private shareholders individuals 2 Must restrict lobbying and advocacy activities ii Gov t makes direct contributions via grants for specific programs b Globalization i Good and bad easy spread of good but also disease like H1N1 ii USAID 1 Mission to advance democracy prosperity human well being 2 5 goals a Peace security governing justly and democratically investing in people economic growth humanitarian assistance 3 Their immunization oral rehydration and other initiatives have saved thousands of lives increased life expectancy etc c Public Services are Provided by Dedicated Public Servants i We don t usually acknowledge individual public servants d Bureaucracy Functional or Not i Bureaucracy characteristics it has Jurisdictional boundaries 1 2 Hierarchy 3 Reliance on written documents 4 Expertly trained managers 5 Management subscribes to general rules which can be learned applied
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