Organizational and Policy Challenges

Constraints and Problems

Outline Constraint

Summary Problem

Definition Conditions vs

Problems How do Problems

get on the Agenda?

Public Opinion and the Media

Bureaucracy Problems Accountability Equity Responsiveness Efficiency Fiscal Integrity

Constraints 1) Cannot lawfully retain and

devote to the private benefits of their members the earnings of the organization Revenues

Incentives

 

Constraints 2) Cannot allocate the factors of

production in accordance with the preferences of the organization’s administrators Capital Personnel Purchasing

Constraints 3) Must serve goals not of the

organization’s own choosing Goals

Primary—justify why the agency exists Contextual—descriptions of desired

states of affairs other than the one the agency was brought into being to create

Problem Definition

Conditions vs Problems Conditions become defined as

problems when we come to believe that we should do something about them

A mismatch between the observed conditions and one’s conception of an ideal state becomes a problem

How do Problems Get on the Agenda? Determine who is affected and how

much Presence of analogy or spillovers Link to national symbols or the national

interest Indicators and focusing events Lester and Stewart: Crises, particularity,

emotive, power and legitimacy, fashionable

Who is Affected? Extremity: the more extreme the

problem, the more likely it is to end up on the agenda

Concentration: bulk or majority of people affected by the problem are in one area

Who is Affected? Range: the more people affected,

the more likely it is to end up on the agenda

Visibility: the more visible the problem to the public, more likely it is to end up on agenda

Analogy or Spillovers Analogy-the more a new issue can be

made to look like an old issue, the more likely it will be placed on the agenda

Spillovers-new programs created to deal with problems created by unintended consequences of the first program

National Symbols and the National Interest

Symbols: freedom, justice, individualism, others?

National interest: security, economy

Indicators

Measures of particular phenomenon—can be used to assess the magnitude of a problem or the monitor changes in the problem

Indicators Routine monitoring:

mortality/morbidity rates; victimization rates; homicides, rapes, burglary rates

Expenditures and budgetary impact

Special reports being conducted

Indicators

The method by which facts are gathered and their interpretations are a source of debate

Focusing Events Problems are often not self-evident

by the indicators - they need a push to get the attention of people in and around government.

Focusing Event

Push is sometimes provided by a focusing event or crisis that comes along to call attention to the problem, a powerful symbol catches on, or the personal experience of a policy maker

Focusing Event May reinforce some preexisting

perception of a problem; may serve as an early warning of something that might become a problem; may combine with other events to point to a problem

Crisis Issue has reach crisis proportions

and can no longer be ignored

Particularity The issue exemplifies and

dramatizes a larger issue

Emotive The issue engages our emotions or

attracts media attention because of a human interest angle

Wide Impact

Power and Legitimacy The issue raises questions about

power and legitimacy in society

Fashionable

Public Opinion Action by decision makers help to

mold opinion

Government attempts to mold opinion to support the programs and policies it espouses

Public Opinion People don’t have opinions on

many issues currently debated

Public opinion is unstable

Leaders do not have a clear perception of mass opinion

Media News people believe they are the

public-confusing their own opinions with public opinion

Media determines what people talk about and think about

Media is concentrated in the hands of relatively few people

Bureaucracy Problems

Bureaucracy Problems Accountability—getting agencies to

serve agreed upon goals

What type of things get in the way?

Bureaucracy Problems Equity—treating all citizens fairly,

which usually means treating them alike on the basis of clear rules know in advance

What type of things get in the way?

Bureaucracy Problems Responsiveness—reacting

reasonably to the special needs and circumstances of particular people

What type of things get in the way?

Bureaucracy Problems Efficiency—obtaining the greatest

output for a given level of resources

What type of things get in the way?

Bureaucracy Problems Fiscal Integrity—assuring that

public funds are spent prudently for public purposes

What type of things get in the way?

Constraints and Problems Which of these constraints and

problems do you believe is the greatest source of concern for public managers?

Constraints and Problems Which of these constraints and

problems do you believe should be the greatest source of concern for public managers?