In this weeks class we discussed intergovernmental affairs. Using the Katrina disaster as an example of the failures of intergovernmental affairs and government in general. One student raised the premise that it is difficult to place blame on one person or groups of people who happen to be in office during the time of the disaster. To this statement I agree that sometimes people are placed into office while situations are unfolding or have already unfolded, and they are left with the baggage. However, the Katrina disaster was no such instance. The Mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, was in office 2 years prior to the disaster. President Bush was in office for 4 years, Michael brown for 2 years and the Governor of Louisiana was in office for a year prior to Katrina. Each of these people deserve part of the blame for what happened. Looking back on Katrina it is easy to spot the failures and criticize everything from preparedness to response, but none of us can truly know who, what, where, when, how, or why this happened. The focus should now be for us to increase communication amongst agencies and entities so that this sort of thing never happenens again.
Public Policy and Decision Making Discussion 1/22/14
The discussion in class revolved around public policy and decision making. The scenario, although highly unlikely, created serious questions and concerns. First, I would say that if the President had to make a decision based on the facts in class, he would decide to shoot down the bombers before they even reach Moscow. The loss of a few soldiers is the least objectionable alternative to inciting a war, or having to bomb New York. Second, in regards to making the actual decision I agree that there is no way to use the rational decision making approach in an attempt to gather every ounce of information. Decision making in the U.S, no matter how politically charged, relies on both “bounded rationality” and mixed scanning. In our adversarial system each side does not attempt to gather all information as in the rational model, but instead gathers as much information that is necessary to support their side, their decision, or discredit the other side. This occurs in Congress as well, despite the fact that their decisions are supposed to be for the good of the constituency. All in all I think the discussion was extremely productive.
Reflections of a First-year MPA Student
Upon graduating from in May of 2013 I had no idea what I would be getting myself into. Up to that point my life was essentially planned out for me, all I had to do was wake up and participate. But now I was on my own 20+ years of learning, training and preparation by teachers, friends and parents and here I was…still not ready to leap into what would be my future.
Would you be ready if every other day there was a news article about how your generation is getting the short end of the stick? If you heard through every step of your undergraduate career that we should pack up and move to another country, change majors or just outright drop out of college because we’re wasting our money. Okay so maybe they didn’t say drop out but they did say that ” Bachelor’s Degrees are the equivalent to a High School Diploma now days.” Truth is that the “real world” frightened me more than my professors did. So instead of jumping into the fire, I decided to jump into graduate school. What exactly was I expecting to gain besides a degree? I have no idea but I knew it would afford me an extra 2 to 4 years to figure it out. Surprisingly I’ve learned a lot of intangible things in my first semester…
First, despite our attempts to shelter each other from the harsh realities of the “real world,” the realities are what help shape us. It helps us to discover why we like what we like, and why we fight for it. For me I’ve always been interested in public service, more specifically Law Enforcement with a focus on Crime Prevention and Community Policing. Throughout my studies I’ve come to understand that although many people believe in these approaches, it is downright difficult to motivate a community that either doesn’t want to be motivated or hates the police. Graduate school has helped me realize that you cannot just go and implement a program because a theory says it’ll work. There are little nuances in every community and organization that need to be addressed first, kind of like building a foundation before building the bridge. This could be accomplished by examining the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT Analysis) of the situation and fitting solutions to the situation. The public administrators need to understand the problem from the perception of the citizen.
Second, and probably the most important thing I’ve learned so far has nothing to do with the course work but with life, and that is EVERYONE had to start somewhere. Whether it be from the bottom of the bottom, or from the middle, they had a starting point from which they worked their butts off to get where they are today. I have yet to meet a person working in public service that has gotten to their “prestigious position” without getting their hands dirty. Similarly I’ve learned that it is okay to be motivated by things other than money and fame. Although those things are desirable and nice, it is possible to be “rich” in other ways.
Now Hiring?
When searching for a job, the one thing no one bothers to tell you is making the decision to get a job is the easiest part of the entire process. That is when the hunt actually begins. I can only assume that finding a job in previous generations was as easy as seeing a “Help Wanted” sign in the window, walking in, and getting the job. Now, I am aware that it probably was not that easy, but one can only imagine.
In the initial phases of the job search there is what I now call the “reality check.” We are led to envision the jobs we want; you know the “cool” ones that are full of opportunity, excitement, and pay really well. But in reality it was my first job, and I soon realized those opportunities were few and far in between for “first-timers.” So I settled for the retail industry, where the entry level jobs are abundant, the pay is bad, the customers are worse and the hours are fairly flexible depending on how the company is doing financially.
After doing research online I selected a few companies that I liked to shop at, that had good discounts, or where my friends worked and started filling out those applications. Now because this was my first attempt at even finding a job, I was using the “shotgun” method of filling out applications; meaning that I filled out and submitted so many that I don’t even remember them all. The hopes were that the more I submitted the more chances I have of landing an interview, and possibly a job. In my case that premise was false. Out of all the applications I submitted I received about three call-backs.
To be honest, when I received these calls from potential employers I had no idea what to expect. Were they going to ask me personal questions? Would they ask me how much I wanted to be paid? Would they offer me a “take it or leave it type” of job? Should I sound like I’m busy, i.e. people talking or movement in the background? Or is that unprofessional? As you would expect these calls were not as in depth as I initially thought, basically they were just calling to schedule an interview. This actually led to more questions than answers. When I asked what attire would be appropriate there were mixed responses; one would say “business casual is fine,” while the other said “professionally dressed”, and the last one actually said “whatever you think is appropriate.” When I sprang these responses on people who were already in the workforce they also gave mixed responses and definitions as to what is appropriate, what is business casual and what is considered professional.
Before I could decide what to wear or even make it to the interview, more anxiety and questions kept creeping up. Are interviews like doctors’ appointments where we are supposed to arrive 30 minutes early? Or should it be more like 15 minutes? What if I time it so I walk in at right at my interview time? Would they consider that late or extremely punctual? Needless to say, as a precaution I went to all three interviews 15 minutes early and in a full suit, figuring it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed.
What seemed strange to me, but is actually a very common occurrence, was the idea of a group interview. Potential employees sit in a semi-circle around the interviewer who proceeds to ask each of us a series of questions in the order we are sitting. To me this was pointless because it is always the first person that has the worst answer, and the last person has the ability to actually think about an appropriate response, while everyone in the middle is just trying to avoid repeating what the person before them just said.
Ironically, I got a job at the one company that I knew very little about, which contributed to the excitement of working there. I ended up staying at that job for three years, until I got one more related to my field of study. The moral of the story is that thanks to those first interviews, and my first job, I am way more comfortable and confident throughout the application process. Those pesky questions about every little detail faded away with the more interviews I’ve had. I
Intergovernmental Affairs and the Missing Malaysian Airliner
Intergovernmental Affairs and the Missing Malaysian Airliner
Throughout the semester we have discussed intergovernmental affairs and how they work. I believe this article, and all the articles discussing the missing airliner, are great examples of intergovernmental affairs. Everyday there are more countries joining the search, and contributing in any way they can. Some offer satellite images, others offer planes, boats and search teams. Some even offer their country as a staging base for the search teams and communications base. All with the goal of finding the missing plane and hundreds of missing people. This shows that even through the differences each country faces, we are all human; and if it were our family members missing we would want everyone on board the search as well.
Views of Public Administration Pt.2
In my previous post there were images showing the different results given with different Google searches. One can argue that Google is a politically charged machine that has its own views, beliefs and biases. Everyone is entitled to their own views, but it is also possible that Google is representative of the national consensus (based on the search terms and whatever algorithm they are using). It is also arguable that the more visible public careers, i.e. Police, Firefighters, EMT’s, have more of an opportunity to be photographed helping the community. But that does not explain the negative cartoon rhetoric about public employees. Surely, someone could sketch a comic of a municipal worker helping and elderly person fill out paperwork. Maybe the issue is that it is boring.
We as people view public employees as nothing more than paper pushers, whose job is to make it extremely difficult to accomplish anything. They are there to ensure that the “red tape” is not broken, but worked through like finding a needle in a haystack. But that in itself is an unfair description of the role they play in society. Certainly, that is not nearly as entertaining or funny as seeing a comic of politicians and unions crushing taxpayers.
Then again the saying goes “one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch. ” In this instance the bad apple can be the one public worker, at the DMV, a mean spirited teacher at your child’s school, or a cop who was not only rude but also gave you a ticket. That one experience (one bite into a rotten apple) just ruined any chances you ever have of having a good experience with someone in the same profession.
Breathe! I can feel the skepticism oozing from your eyes, but hang with me here, the point is clear.
We discussed in class that one bad experience ruins all subsequent interactions, because we have a predisposition to believe that all subsequent interactions will result in the same unsatisfactory service. This creates a dilemma that occurs even in the retail sector, where no matter how exceptional the service is it will never be enough. The customer, in this case the citizen, will be so blinded by their previous experience, that they will approach the situation with a negative attitude. Creating the negative atmosphere which will result in unsatisfactory service; perpetuating the cycle. All the blame doesn’t have to fall on the citizen, because as public employees it is their job to provide excellent service, even when there is nothing they can do to help because of the rules in place.
So maybe the woman at the DMV was not being mean by refusing your paperwork because it was incomplete. And maybe the teacher was right that your child is a brat, and needs to be taught discipline. Or the cop that was angry because you were going 40 in a 20mph school zone and gave you the ticket because you actually deserved it.
So how can we change the perception of public employees on a national scale? First, we have to start counteracting negative images, negative stories, negative articles relating to public workers and public administration with positive ones. Even I am guilty of venting my frustration with various public interactions, but I am more reluctant to tell how pleased I was with something…besides food :). Second, we need to go into every interaction with a open mind; BE OPTIMISTIC. Understand that it is not the person behind the counter making the rules, they are just the messenger. You don’t like something? Change it by voting (Yes, I went there!). Thirdly, we need to accept the mistakes we make as people, and understand that rules cannot be tailored to fit our exact situation.
Hopefully one day a Google Search of “How public views public workers” will result in more of ….
and less of
Views on Public Administration Pt.1
Google Search: How public views public workers cartoon
Results:….
I know that only one image was necessary to show how the public views public workers ergo public administration. However, I felt that it was necessary to show the abundance of negative imagery associated with public workers. The most recurrent themes being unions, pensions, right to strike and abusing the taxpayers.
Arguably, many aspects of public administration would leave anyone looking and feeling like …
But there has to be times where people understand the reality of public workers…..
and actually have good experiences with them…
Google Search: Police helping someone; and dozens of images similar to that above pop-up along with heartwarming stories that lets you know there is hope yet.
Lastly, Google Search: public employees helping; and you get images of public demonstrations, meetings, and what looks like political figures giving speeches.
Commentary on Woodrow Wilson “The Study of Administration”
In 1887 Woodrow Wilson published an essay titled The Study of Administration while teaching at Bryn Mawr College. In this essay he covers three broad topics, all relating to public administration as a science that needs to be studied. First is a review of the history of the study of public administration. Second, is the subject-matter, more specifically what exactly is public administration. Lastly, he seeks to determine the best methods to develop public administration, both as a science and as a useful tool within the structure of the U.S. democracy.
What is public administration? Is it a science? How do we study it? These questions are ever present today as they were when Wilson published this essay. However, Wilson was able to tackle each of these questions with simple assuredness. He defines administration as “the most obvious part of government; it is government in action”(Wilson, p. 198). He gives the study of public administration a clear objective:
“to discover what government can properly and successfully do, and… how it can do these proper things with the utmost possible efficiency and at the least possible cost either of money or of energy” (Wilson, p.198).
And ,through the use of vivid literary examples, emphasizes the need to study public administration through the eyes of foreign governments and monarchies. Wilson states that we must compare ourselves with countries like France and Germany in order to see our weaknesses and virtues. Anticipating possible reluctance to accept this comparison as a possibility, Wilson affirms that comparisons are possible without contaminating America’s values (Wilson, p.205).
There were a few things I found interesting about this essay:
1) Wilson’s view of administration as a business.
2) His attempt at distinguishing politics from administration.
3) His view on the role of public opinion.
Wilson repeatedly stressed that the field of administration is a field of business, separate from the nuances of politics and policy. It seems that no matter how far into history we search there is always a reference to making government a business. The overall goal being to make government more cost effective and efficient. Wilson makes a valid point that by separating administration from politics it removes the limitations that the constitution places on political positions. However, I think that it places administration in a precarious position. In the U.S the two-party system dominates, even the most neutral organizations are placed either into the conservative or democratic realm. Mostly this depends on which party is currently in power and/or has the public on their side. This would make administration a unstable business. Even with the selection of employees through the civil service system (merit system), there will always be the ruling party that uses threats and the bully pulpit to nudge the administration in one direction or the other. This can clearly be seen with the Supreme Court, even though it is a neutral institution in law, often times it can clearly be a liberal or conservative court. Ironically, government has become a business, for the private sector and non governmental actors. As the government continues making strides towards privatization, the administration will continue to suffer.
We have discussed in class how the government is highly inefficient, and the Shafritz et al text addresses this issue as well. However, people agree that the government was created this way because of previous experience with a highly efficient government , which created many injustices for the people (Shafritz, 78-79 ). That being said why should administration be separate from policy and politics to a point where it is not held to the same constitutional standards that we expect from politicians and Senators. It is true that administrative questions are not political questions, yet administrative violations to the constitution carry the same weight as political violations to the constitution.
Public opinion plays a major role in creating the political agenda and being catalysts for discussion. Wilson argues that public opinion should be the “authoritative critic,” efficient without being meddlesome. It is the meddlesome nature of the public that keeps administrations and governments honest. It creates accountability that no matter how inefficient is necessary in a free and democratic nation.
Wilson, W. (Jun., 1887). The Study of Administration Political Science Quarterly , Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 197-222. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2139277
Shafritz, J. M., Russell, E. W., & Borick, C. P. (2013). The Continuous Reinventing of the Machinery of Government. Introducing Public Administration (8th ed.) (pp.74-112). Boston, MA : Pearson
Class Discussion
The discussion in class revolved around public policy and decision making. The scenario, although highly unlikely, created serious questions and concerns. First, I would say that if the President had to make a decision based on the facts in class, he would decide to shoot down the bombers before they even reach Moscow. The loss of a few soldiers is the least objectionable alternative to inciting a war, or having to bomb New York. Second, in regards to making the actual decision I agree that there is no way to use the rational decision making approach in an attempt to gather every ounce of information. Decision making in the U.S, no matter how politically charged, relies on both “bounded rationality” and mixed scanning. In our adversarial system each side does not attempt to gather all information as in the rational model, but instead gathers as much information that is necessary to support their side, their decision, or discredit the other side. This occurs in Congress as well, despite the fact that their decisions are supposed to be for the good of the constituency. All in all I think the discussion was extremely productive.
Vignette Based on Actual Encounter
Sometime in August I submitted my application to FIU’s Graduate program for a Master’s in Public Administration. Admittedly, I should have probably submitted it earlier, but me being a perfectionist and a slight procrastinator; I waited until two days prior to the deadline for Spring admissions. Then the problems began. First, there were issues processing my application because my undergraduate institution, the University of Florida, had not yet sent my transcript to FIU.
After that was there were about three weeks of nothing, no email confirmations of acceptance or rejection, not even an update saying they received the transcripts. During this time I attempted to find out the status of my application to no avail. Every call I made to the University I was transferred at least three times and at a certain point would be placed on hold, to wait for a supervisor who would never be in their office. I would leave a message and receive no returned call.
In November I received an email from an advisor at FIU, stating I needed to complete some paperwork and informing me of the classes that I needed to register for. However, up to that point I had still not received a letter of acceptance from the University. Upon contacting Dr. Alkadry, we discovered that my application had gotten lost in processes between the Graduate offices and the actual MPA program. So although the program had my information, I was neither accepted by the program nor the Graduate school. This issue took another two weeks to be resolved.
The worst part of it all was that every time I would contact someone in relation to the application, no one would take the time to hear the actual issue. Instead they would try to guess my problem, and if they could not figure it out they would transfer me to someone else, essentially passing the buck. It was not until I started emailing Dr. Alkadry that things got done.
Although this was not one of the worst experiences I’ve had it was by far one of the more stressful. We discussed in class that sometimes when dealing with public administrators that some classes of people are not considered “customers,” i.e. students, criminals. I think in my situation I was experiencing just that, although I was not yet a student, I was treated as such and was unable to receive the help I expected as a customer.
reynoldspa 