Chapter 10 Flashcards
What is the history of public administration in terms of administrative reform?
The history of public administration is a history of administrative reform, starting from its inception as a discipline in the 17th century or the 19th century with Woodrow Wilson’s article “the study of administration.” This history reflects the interaction between theory and practice
What is the primary focus of reform in recent decades?
The primary focus of reform in recent decades has been the “New Public Management” (NPM) or “Reinventing Government.”
Why was the traditional classical model of public administration challenged in the 1970s?
The traditional classical model of public administration was challenged in the 1970s due to the poor performance of public bureaucracies, which led to increased economic problems, public dissatisfaction, and political unrest in the USA and many Western welfare countries.
What factors contributed to the adoption of NPM by many countries around the world?
NPM has been adopted by many countries worldwide as an instrument for development within structural adjustment programs. Factors contributing to its adoption include the Western welfare states’ debt and financial crises, poor performance by national bureaucracies, and increasing demand on public expenditure due to demographic changes.
What are the features and components of NPM and Reinventing Government?
The features and components of NPM and Reinventing Government include result-based management, business-like administration, disaggregation of public organizations, hands-on management, competition, performance measurement, discipline and parsimony in resource use, and output control.
How does NPM differ from traditional public administration?
NPM differs from traditional public administration in that it focuses on results and outcomes rather than rules and regulations, promotes the empowerment of managers, encourages consultation and cooperation, holds public officials accountable based on performance measures, and allows citizens to express dissatisfaction through exit rather than voice.
What principles characterize entrepreneurial government according to Osborne and Gaebler?
The principles of entrepreneurial government according to Osborne and Gaebler include steering rather than rowing, empowering rather than serving, earning rather than spending, prevention rather than cure, competition-based service delivery, mission-driven government, results-oriented government, customer-driven government, decentralized government, and market-oriented government.
What is the National Performance Review (NPR) and its connection to NPM?
The National Performance Review was an action plan launched by President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore in 1993 as part of radical US administrative reforms. It was inspired by NPM and Reinventing Government and aimed to achieve effective, efficient, and responsive government through principles such as customer service, cutting red tape, empowering employees, and focusing on basics.
What did New Public Management (NPM) draw upon to address administrative, political, and financial problems of the old administrative regime?
NPM drew on new political-economic ideologies, as well as a new set of administrative concepts, rationales, and procedures.
How did NPM challenge conventional understandings of public administration?
NPM challenged conventional understandings of public administration, which tended to be binary in nature: public vs private, and politics vs administration.
How did the global nature of NPM challenge the traditional model of policy making?
The global nature of NPM, in terms of its scale of implementation and infusion, challenged the traditional model of policy making that was based on the nationalist model.
What has been the core of NPM reform measures?
The core of NPM reform measures has been the infusion of public sector organizations and agencies with the managerial values and organizational forms of the private sector.
What does “business-like administration” refer to in the context of NPM?
“Business-like administration” refers to borrowing the managerial practices of the private sector to be applied in the public sector, including more flexibility in human resource management, recruitment, payment systems, promotions, and accountability.
What is the principle of “hands-on management” in NPM?
“Hands-on management” refers to empowering top managers by devolving more discretionary power in handling contracts and staff, coupled with the effective use of financial data for management accountability.
What does the “disaggregation of public organizations” mean in NPM?
The “disaggregation of public organizations” means restructuring the public sector into ‘corporatized’ units for each public sector ‘product’ by separating provision and production interests, aiming to make each unit more manageable and accountable.
