| This section of the course explores the political environment that confronts those who
manage public and nonprofit organizations in today's changing world. During this
section of the course we will cover the following topics: |
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| This section
provides an overview of what public administration is and it explores some of the
differences between managing in the public and private sectors. It also provides an
overview of the development of management theory and highlights some of the different
roles and functions a public manager has in today's society. |
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| This section of the class focuses on federalism
and the changing nature of the relationship between federal, state, and local governments.
In particular we will focus on the changing patterns of federal - state relations
and the changes in the capacity of state and local governments over time. We will
also have some discussion of fiscal federalism and they way that federal grant programs
are used to influence state and local government programs. |
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| The budget process is an interesting example of a difference between managing in
the public sector. We will briefly discuss some of the different functions of a
budget with an emphasis on on some of the politics that surround the budget process.
We will also discuss how budgets are used to ensure accountability. Finally,
there will be a brief discussion of some of the important issues surrounding revenues and
expenditures. |
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| One of the important aspects of a democratic society is the ability to hold
government and its representatives accountable to the public. This section of the
course explores some of the common mechanisms (both formal and informal) that are used to
hold public organizations and their employees accountable to the public and elected
officials. |
