Assignment

Why are services such as pollution control, postal service, public safety, and welfare programs appropriate for governmental programs and public administration? What are some of the changes that have occurred in major service areas over the past 5 years?

Is government closest to the people-city or county-more effective than state or federal government? Why? What are three issues you feel are important to public administrators today? Discuss one of these issues in detail.

Describe and evaluate a recent personal experience with government. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the process? What suggestions would you make for improvement?

What can public administrators learn from private sector management? What can private sector administrators learn from public sector management?

What are some differences between public and private sector planning? Why is broad public involvement important to the public planning process?

How do limited resources affect the public budgeting and administrative planning processes? What are the implications for the public administrator?

What public administration issues do you see? How might the issue (s) affect you or your community?

Share your thoughts: "Those who define public administration in managerial terms take a businesslike approach to it that tends to minimize the distinctions between public and private administration. In their view, public administration is essentially the same as big business and ought to be run according to the same managerial principles and values." Source: David H. Rosenbloom, Robert S. Kravchuk

Some believe that the United States has too many governments, in the sense that governmental authority is too fragmented and that the cost of redundancies and loss of coordination is too high. Would you favor abolishing any levels or kinds of government? Why or why not?

When you look around the various media outlets in your community, what public administration issues do you see? How might the issue (s) affect you or your community?