Public Administration (PAA)

This course provides an introduction to concepts of public service in different organizations: government, non-profit and private. Through readings and discussions you will gain an overview of the history of public administration in the context of American democracy. Special focus will be placed on an analysis and critique of the rise of out-sourcing in the public sector and the responsibilities of private contractors in carrying out the functions of government agencies.

s:This course examines organizations from three perspectives, as closed, natural and open systems. It will help students to understand better the relationships among organizational structure, organization functions, and individual and budget process. Behavioral forces and their implications will be addressed as students are exposed to concepts of power, control and change within appropriate contexts. Since organizational structures are mainly a function of their budget process, this course will be devoted to topics in public budgeting, finance and financial management. These activities play a central role in public management of various organizational settings. The intent of this course is to understand the role these activities play in local, state, and federal governments and to see how policy and management are shaped and influenced by budgets, financial reports and tax policy.

This course explores the planning process in common use by public managers and presents some specific guidelines for program planning. In addition, the course demonstrates the relationship between program planning, implementation and evaluation. Both process and outcome approaches to evaluation are covered.

Introduction to administration, public policy and policy makings is the study of government workers, the organizations in which they work, how they are financed, and how government engages citizens to help form and maintain community. In various ways, the class sessions will explore the three important issues of public administration: discretion, authority, and accountability.