Chapter 4- Private Partners in Public Administration

Question 1

basic theme

Answer 1

government’s use of the private sector to assist in performing public services and programs has become significant and will continue to grow into the future

Question 2

components of the private sector (4)

Answer 2

profit-making companies
non-profit organizations (including “faith-based”)
advocates and advisors
volunteers

Question 3

rationales (arguments) for public-private relationships (4)

Answer 3

smaller government argument
business enterprise argument
citizen choice argument
efficient government argument

Question 4

smaller government argument

Answer 4

smaller government, in general, is better for citizens within free society. Too much government (rules, mandates, etc.) limits citizens’ personal freedoms. Society problems should be addressed by the private sector as often as possible. This philosophy is often referred to as libertarianism

Question 5

business enterprise argument

Answer 5

the view that any function of government than can be made to generate a profit, should, therefore, be done by private business

Question 6

citizen choice argument

Answer 6

the view that many private options for providing various services is better than one single government option

Question 7

efficient government argument

Answer 7

the view that the private sector should be utilized wherever and whenever it can be more efficient- either by providing better service or doing the service cheaper, or both

Question 8

which argument is the most commonly cited reason for privatization?

Answer 8

efficient government argument

Question 9

forms of public-private relationships (5)

Answer 9

pure privatization
contracting
public-private partnerships
vouchers
voluntary citizen engagement

Question 10

contracting

Answer 10

government contracts with the private sector to provide specific services to the public or assist the government in providing those services

Question 11

contracting examples

Answer 11

ambulances, various maintenance services, freeway construction

Question 12

what is the most common type of public-private relationships?

Answer 12

contracting

Question 13

pure privatization

Answer 13

where the government completely eliminates a function and the private sector completely takes it over

Question 14

pure privatization examples

Answer 14

trash collection, hospitals, toll roads, postal service

Question 15

public-private partnerships

Answer 15

government partners with a private company/ organization to create joint control of a function or service, most complex form

Question 16

examples of public-private partnerships

Answer 16

low income housing, jobs program/ training, homeless services

Question 17

vouchers

Answer 17

citizens purchase private services with use of government funds (usually federal or state)

Question 18

examples of vouchers

Answer 18

low income housing, food stamps (EBT), education

Question 19

voluntary citizen engagement

Answer 19

government utilizing citizen volunteers to carry out certain public services (usually local government)

Question 20

examples of voluntary citizen engagement

Answer 20

community clean up, neighborhood crime protection

Question 21

basic benefit of public-private relationships

Answer 21

they enhance the efficiency and amount of service and programs governments can provide

Question 22

basic problem of public-private relationships

Answer 22

they make it more difficult to control the quality and outcome of those services and programs

Question 23

formal forms of citizen engagement

Answer 23

public hearings (most common)
requirements of grants
other requirement of law