Showing papers on "Government published in 1997"

Understanding Governance: Policy Networks, Governance, Reflexivity and Accountability

Abstract: Understanding Governance asks: * What has changed in British government over the past two decades, how and why? * Why do so many government policies fail? * What does the shift from government to governance mean for the practice and study of British government? This book provides a challenging reinterpretation which interweaves an account of recent institutional changes in central, local and European Union government with methodological innovations and theoretical analysis. It emphasizes: the inability of the 'Westminster model', with its accent on parliamentary sovereignty and strong executive leadership, to account for persistent policy failure; the 'hollowing out' of British government from above (the European Union), below (special purpose bodies) and sideways (to agencies); and the need to respond to the postmodern challenge, rethinking the methodological and theoretical assumptions in the study of British government.

An Economic Model of Representative Democracy

Abstract: This paper develops an approach to the study of democratic policy-making where politicians are selected by the people from those citizens who present themselves as candidates for public office. The approach has a number of attractive features. First, it is a conceptualization of a pure form of representative democracy in which government is by, as well as of, the people. Second, the model is analytically tractable, being able to handle multidimensional issue and policy spaces very naturally. Third, it provides a vehicle for answering normative questions about the performance of representative democracy.

The death of distance : how the communications revolution will change our lives

Abstract: The origins of the communications revolution the future of the telephone the future of television the Internet how new communications will be used competition, regulation, and prices privacy, piracy, property, and porn the economy and companies government and public services society, culture, and the individual.

The Proper Scope of Government: Theory and an Application to Prisons

Abstract: When should a government provide a service in-house, and when should it contract out provision? We develop a model in which the provider can invest in improving the quality of service or reducing cost. If contracts are incomplete, the private provider has a stronger incentive to engage in both quality improvement and cost reduction than a government employee has. However, the private contractor's incentive to engage in cost reduction is typically too strong because he ignores the adverse effect on noncontractible quality. The model is applied to understanding the costs and benefits of prison privatization.

Treating networks seriously: Practical and research-based agendas in public administration

Abstract: How well equipped are today's public administrators to face the challenges they confront from the involvement of businesses, not-for-profits, other units of government, and even clients in complex patterns of program operations? Not very well, if judged by the extent to which practitioners and scholars have incorporated the network concept and its implications into their own work. Discussions in the field contain little to help practicing managers cope with network settings. In fact, conventional theory may actually be counterproductive when applied inappropriately to network contexts. And yet, these arrays are now consequential and becoming increasingly so. Practitioners need to begin to incorporate the network concept into their administrative efforts. The challenge for scholars is to conduct research that illuminates this neglected aspect of contemporary administration. The author sketches a set of agendas that offer prospects for helping to address this need.

Policy entrepreneurs and the diffusion of innovation

Abstract: Theory: In the literature on policy innovation diffusion, political scientists have paid little attention to how ideas for innovation gain prominence on government agendas. By considering the actions of policy entrepreneurs-political actors who promote policy ideas-we can gain important insights into the process of policy innovation and innovation diffusion. Hypotheses: Policy entrepreneurs constitute an identifiable class of political actors. Their presence and actions can significantly raise the probability of legislative consideration and approval of policy innovations. Methods: Event history analyses of the determinants of legislative consideration and approval of an idea for education reform-school choice-in the 48 contiguous United States from 1987 through 1992. The data set consists of unique information collected in a mail survey of members of the education policy elite in each state, augmented with published statistics. Results: Policy entrepreneurs were identified as advocates of school choice in 26 states. While controlling for rival hypotheses, the presence and actions of policy entrepreneurs were found to raise significantly the probability of legislative consideration and approval of school choice as a policy innovation. These results suggest policy entrepreneurs should be given more attention in the literature on policy innovation diffusion.

Good government in the tropics

Abstract: In Good Government in the Tropics, Judith Tendler questions widely prevailing views about why governments so often perform poorly and about what causes them to improve. Drawing on a set of four cases involving public bureaucracies at work under the direction of an innovative state government in Brazil, the book offers findings of significance to the current debates about organization of the public-sector workplace, public service delivery, decentralization, and the interaction between government and civil society. The case chapters represent four different sectors, each traditionally spoken for by its distinct experts, literatures, and public agnecies-rural preventive health, small enterprise development, agricultural extension for small farmers, and employment-creating public works construction and drought relief. With findings that cut across these sectoral boundaries, the book raises questions about the policy advice proferred by the international donor community. It shifts the terms of the prevailing debate away from mistrust of government toward an understanding of the circumstances under which public servants become truly committed to their work and public service improves dramatically.

World development report 1997 : the state in a changing world

Abstract: This is the twentieth in the annual series assessing major development issues. The report is devoted to the role and effectiveness of the state: what it should do, how it should do it, and how it can improve in a rapidly changing world. Governments with both centrally-planned and mixed economies are shrinking their market role because of failed state interventions. This report takes an opposite stance: that state's role in the institutional environment underlying the economy, that is, its ability to enforce a rule of law to underpin transactions, is vital to making government contribute more effectively to development. It argues against reducing government to a minimalist state, explaining that development requires an effective state that plays a facilitator role in encouraging and complementing the activities of private businesses and individuals. The report presents a state reform framework strategy: First, focus the state's activities to match its capabilities; and second, look for ways to improve the state's capability by re-invigorating public institutions. Successful and unsuccessful examples of states and state reform provide illustrations.

Policy Design for Democracy

Abstract: How can democracy be improved in an age when people are profoundly disenchanted with government? Part of the answer lies in the design of public policy that unmistakably works to advance citizenship by listening to, educating, and involving ordinary people. Schneider and Ingram evaluate the current approaches to policy theory and recommend a series of reforms that will improve policy designs and help restore citizen confidence in government. Policy Design for Democracy is one of the first books to examine systematically the broader implications of the substantive aspects of public policy.

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Abstract: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, government services, public accommodations, and telecommunications. The author offers a review of the ADA, including the definition of a disability under the ADA, and places particular emphasis on the employment provisions of the ADA. The paper offers situational analyses that will help human services employees increase their understanding of the workplace requirements for compliance with the ADA.

Ghetto Schooling: A Political Economy of Urban Educational Reform

Abstract: In this personal account, Jean Anyon provides evidence that the economic and political devastation of America's inner cities has robbed schools and teachers of the capacity to successfully implement current strategies of educational reform. She argues that without fundamental change in government and business policies and the redirection of major resources back into the schools and the communities they serve, urban schools are consigned to failure, and no effort at raising standards, improving teaching, or boosting achievement can occur. Based on her participation in an intensive four-year school reform project in the Newark, New Jersey public schools, the author vividly captures the anguish and anger of students and teachers caught in the tangle of a failing school system. "Ghetto Schooling" offers a penetrating historical analysis of more than a century of government and business policies that have drained the economic, political and human resources of urban populations. This book reveals the historical roots of the current crisis in ghetto schools and what must be done to reverse the downward spiral.

Why people don't trust government

Abstract: Preface Introduction: The Decline of Confidence in Government Joseph S. Nye, Jr. PART ONE: The Scope and Performance of Government The Evolving Scope of Government Ernest R. May Measuring the Performance of Government Derek Bok Fall from Grace: The Public's Loss of Faith in Government Gary Orren PART TWO: The Menu of Explanations Is It Really the Economy Stupid? Robert Z. Lawrence Social and Cultural Causes of Dissatisfaction with U.S. Government Jane Manbridge The Polarization of American Parties and Mistrust of Government David C. King The Politics of Mistrust Richard E. Neustadt PART THREE: Data on Public Attitudes toward Governance Changing Attitudes in America Robert J. Blendon, John M. Benson, Richard Morin, Drew E. Altman, Mollyann Brodie, Mario Brossard, And Matt James Postmaterialist Values and the Erosion of Institutional Authority Ronald Inglehart Public Trust and Democracy in Japan Susan J. Pharr Conclusion: Reflections, Conjectures, and Puzzles Joseph S. Nye, Jr., and Philip D. Zelikow Notes Contributors Index

The invisible hand and the grabbing hand

Abstract: Evidence from a survey of 105 shop-owners in Moscow and Warsaw shows that the reliance on private protection, as well as the burden of regulation and corruption, are much greater in Moscow. The evidence suggests that the `invisible hand' model of government better fits the Warsaw local government, and the`grabbing hand' model is more appropriate for Moscow. The evidence implies that the singular focus on the speed of economic reforms to understand the success of transition is misplaced, and that the quality of government may be as essential.

Community Service and Social Responsibility in Youth

Abstract: This is an analysis of the beneficial effects of community service on the political and moral identity of adolescents. This text uses a case study from a predominantly black, urban high school in Washington, D.C., building on the insights of Erik Erikson on the social and historical nature of identity development. The study seeks to show that service at a soup kitchen as part of a course on social justice gives opportunity to reflect on their status in society, on how society is organized, on how government should use its power, and on moral principles related to homelessness and poverty. By developing a sense of social responsibility and a civic commitment, young people can begin to see themselves as active agents in society. The book challenges negative steoptypes of contemporary adolescents, and illustrates how young people can use their talents for social good when given the opportunity. It is designed to interest those concerned with today's youth and tomorrow's society.

The Effect of the Expansion of the Voting Franchise on the Size of Government

Abstract: This paper examines the claim that expansion of the voting franchise has been an important factor in the growth of government. State government spending and state and local spending are explained using a panel of 46 states for 1950-88. Elimination of poll taxes and literacy tests led to higher turnout, particularly among the poor, and a poorer pivotal voter. As predicted, we find that these changes, a fall in the income of voters relative to state income, and the ouster of Republicans from state government led to a sharp rise in welfare spending but no change in other spending.

The Student Aid Game: Meeting Need and Rewarding Talent in American Higher Education

Abstract: Figures and TablesForewordAcknowledgmentsPt. 1Introduction11Meeting Need and Rewarding Talent: Student Aid in the U.S. System of Higher Education Finance52Changing the Rules: The New Strategic Role of Student Aid15Pt. 2Student Aid and Educational Opportunity: Are We Keeping College Affordable?233Prices and Aid: The Growing Burden on Families254Access: Student Response to Higher Prices - and Higher Returns375Choice: How Ability to Pay Affects College Options426The Future of College Affordability49Pt. 3Student Aid and Institutional Strategy537Student Aid in Institutional Finance558How Government Aid Shapes Colleges' Behavior819Student Aid as a Competitive Weapon91Pt. 4The Special Case of Merit Aid10510Merit Aid: Its Place in History and Its Role in Society10711The Institutional Perspective11612The Student Perspective12213Conclusion: Merit Aid - Good or Bad?130Pt. VThe Future of Student Aid13314Where Do We Go from Here?135Notes145Bibliography153Index157

Dealing with Cynical Citizens

Abstract: Widespread concern exists about public cynicism toward government (Gore, 1994; Dubnick and Rosenbloom, 1995; Greider, 1992; Lipset and Schneider, 1987; Ruscio, 1995; Cisneros and Parr, 1990). Manifestations of public cynicism include pervasive beliefs that government policies and public officials are corrupt, inept, or out to take advantage of citizens (Johnson, 1993). Such disillusionment causes alienation and disengagement and is therefore of key interest to public administration and processes of democratic governance. Yet, little is written about the role of public administrators in shaping public attitudes. Much of what is written focuses on typologies of citizen roles (Frederickson, 1991; Luton, 1993) and administrative processes for managing citizen involvement (Stivers, 1994; Thomas, 1993; Box, 1992). This article responds to the need for a theory of citizen cynicism that is relevant to public administration. It also reports on the results of a national survey among city managers and chief administrative officers about perceptions of trust in local government. It finds that cities that foster positive citizen attitudes through a variety of strategies of participation, information, and reputation experience less cynicism than cities that do not. The effect of community conditions on trust is also examined. A Theory of Cynicism Cynicism is discussed in general terms in the literatures of trust and social capital. Many authors argue that all human relations and exchanges (economic, political, and social) require trust that promises will be honored, and that individuals are not taken advantage of (Coleman, 1990; Putnam, 1993; Bellah, et al., 1991; Mansbridge, 1990). Trust is seen as purposive, a lubricant of relations. It also provides a sense of belonging that serves the emotional needs of individuals. Cynicism is defined as low trust, specifically, a pervasive "disbelief in the possibility of good" in dealing with others (Damon, 1995; Barber, 1983; Merton, 1957). Cynicism increases social distance and diminishes the public spirit (Gore, 1994). "Social capital" refers to the number of trusting and mutually supportive relationships that members of a group draw on in realizing their economic, social, and political aims (Loury, 1987). Individuals in groups with low levels of social capital often have too few interdependent relations to achieve their goals and are likely to experience disenfranchisement. Disappointment over unrealized goals contributes to cynical attitudes, which, in turn serve as barriers to forming productive relations, thus causing social capital to further erode in a vicious circle. Cynical attitudes toward government often center on the integrity, purpose, and effectiveness of government and its officials (Starobin, 1995; Durant, 1995; O'Connell, Holzman, and Armandi, 1986; Jurie, 1988). The literature makes a distinction between ardent cynicism and milder forms. Ardent cynicism is usually linked to ideological beliefs that are highly critical of government, for example, "government is always out to get the ordinary citizen." Facts are used selectively to justify claims that "nothing ever changes" and that authorities use smoke and mirrors to appease and mislead the masses. Milder expressions of cynicism are often characterized by beliefs that are less critical of government (e.g., "government tries its best, but it just doesn't have the resources"), and by beliefs that give greater weight to facts (e.g., "government doesn't deliver on its promises: the roads are still not fixed"). Because of the greater dependence on facts, the milder form of cynicism may be more open to influence by reason.(1) Theories of human motivation and behavior adapted from organizational behavior (McClelland, 1985; Bianco, 1994; Robertson and Tang, 1995) suggest that citizens question their relationship with government and experience disenfranchisement when the following conditions are present: (1) citizens believe that local government is using its power against them or otherwise not helping them; (2) citizens do not feel part of local government, or they feel misunderstood or ignored, and (3) citizens find local government services and policies to be ineffective. …

The rise and fall.

Abstract: By the time the government raided Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp. facilities this summer, colleagues had been trying for years to warn the company's then-top executive, Richard Scott, about the unnerving arrogance from the executive suite in Nashville. Modern Healthcare explores key events in the rise and fall of Scott and the company he built.

Getting good government : capacity building in the public sectors of developing countries

Abstract: The creation and preservation of capable states is a lengthy, laborious, and multifaceted process, fraught with opportunities for failure and misspent resources. It requires time, commitment, innovative ideas, consensus building, new rules of the game, efficient design and resource allocation in technical assistance, and considerable good luck. By the mid-1990s, the imperative to improve government performance had been added to the development agenda precisely because of greater awareness that neither markets nor democracies could function well or perhaps function at all unless governments efficiency, effectiveness, and responsiveness are improved. This publication seeks to help understand how governments can be encouraged to perform better and how state capabilities can be developed in ways that allow markets and democracies to flourish. The contributors draw comparative lessons from specific efforts designed to enhance human resource development in the public sector, to strengthen organizations that contribute to the public purpose of government, and to reform the institutions that set the rules for economic and political interaction. The book should be of interest not only to public officials and public management and policy analysts, but also to political scientists and international development specialists.

Evaluating Government Training Programs for the Economically Disadvantaged

Abstract: This article examines past evaluations of government training programs for the economically disadvantaged and offers an agenda for future research. It is found that government training programs are producing modest increases in earnings for adult men and women, but are probably not producing positive effects for youth. Future research must better document links between program-provided training and acquisition of valuable skills and must explore potential returns from increased scale. The recent adoption of random assignment has improved the accuracy of field evaluations but would benefit from an economic theory of evaluation to guide research into increasing training effectiveness.

Civil Liberties, Democracy, and the Performance of Government Projects

Abstract: This article uses a cross-national data set on the performance of government investment projects financed by the World Bank to examine the link between government efficacy and governance. It demonstrates a strong empirical link between civil liberties and the performance of government projects. Even after controlling for other determinants of performance, countries with the strongest civil liberties have projects with an economic rate of return 8 - 22 percentage points higher than countries with the weakest civil liberties. The strong effect of civil liberties holds true even when controlling for the level of democracy. The interrelationship among civil liberties, civil strife, and project performance suggests that the possible mechanism of causation is from more civil liberties to increased citizen voice to better projects. This result adds to the evidence for the view that increasing citizen voice and public accountability through both participation and better governance can lead to greater efficacy in government action

The new paternalism : supervisory approaches to poverty

Abstract: If government tells dependent people how to live today, will we have a more self-reliant society tomorrow? That's the critical question as government increasingly seeks to supervise the lives of poor citizens who are dependent on it, often in return for supporting them. This trend is most visible in welfare policy, where "welfare reform" largely means attempts to require adults receiving assistance to work or stay in school in return for aid. However, it can also be seen in policy toward the homeless, where shelters increasingly set rules for their residents; in education, where states have instituted tougher standards for children; and in drug programs that test addicts for compliance. The drift in antipoverty policy is toward paternalismthe close supervision of the dependent.Paternalism has been a major trend in social policy for the past decade, and it has support from the public. But it has received little attention from researchers and policy analystsuntil now. "The New Paternalism" opens up a serious discussion of supervisory methods in antipoverty policy. The book assembles noted policy experts to examine whether programs that set standards for their clients and supervise them closely are better able to help them than traditional programs that leave clients free to live as they please.Separate chapters discuss programs to promote work in welfare, prevent teen pregnancy, improve fathers' payment of child support, shelter homeless men in New York City, deter drug addiction, and improve the education of the disadvantaged. Cross-cutting chapters address the management of paternalism, the psychological needs of poor adults, and the tension between paternalism and American politics.The authors consider both sides of the debate over this controversial issue. Several chapters address the sensitive question of whether government or private organizations are best able to implement supervisory programs. The conclusions are optimistic but cautious. Most of the authors believe that paternalism can make an important contribution to overcoming poverty. But paternalism is not a panacea, and it makes severe demands on the capacities of government. Supervisory programs are difficult to justify politically and to implement well."

Global governance : drawing insights from the environmental experience

Abstract: Much of our experience with innovative approaches to governance at the international level involves natural resources and the environment. Whereas the Cold War bred an intense concern with the preservation of existing institutions, the emerging environmental agenda has prompted an awareness of the need for new arrangements to achieve sustainable human/environment relations. Especially notable is the growth of specific regimes to deal with matters such as endangered plants and animals, migratory species, airborne pollutants, marine pollution, hazardous wastes, ozone depletion, and climate change. Nonstate actors have made particularly striking advances in the creation and maintenance of these environmental regimes.The contributors to this volume draw upon the experiences of environmental regimes to examine the problems of international governance in the absence of a world government. In the process, they address four central questions: Has regime analysis produced a distinctive conception of governance that can be applied to the solution of collective-action problems at the international level? Can we identify the conditions necessary for international "governance without government" to succeed? Does the emergence of regimes in specific issue areas have broader consequences for the future of international society? Can we generalize from experience with environmental issues to a broader range of international governance problems?Contributors : Thomas Bernauer, Lee Botts, Helmut Breitmeier, Paul Muldoon, M. J. Peterson, David Reed, Olav Schram Stokke, Marcia Valiante, Konrad von Moltke, Paul Wapner, Oran R. Young.

Guidelines for undergraduate degree programs on Model curriculum and guidelines for undergraduate degree programs in information systems

Abstract: The IS'97 report is the latest output from model curriculum work for information systems that began in the early 1970s and has matured over a twenty year period. This report represents the combined effort of numerous individuals and reflects the interests of thousands of faculty. It is grounded in the expected requirements of industry and represents the views of organizations employing the graduates. This model curriculum is the first collaborative curriculum effort of the ACM, AIS and AITP (formerly DPMA) societies and is supported by other interested organizations. The draft was reviewed at eleven national and international meetings involving over 1,000 individuals from industry and academia. All aspects of the computing field have had rapid, continuous change. As a result, university-level Information Systems (IS) curricula need frequent updating to remain effective. Since most academic units have mechanisms to maintain currency of curricula, why have professional society curriculum committees? If an IS academic unit were providing graduates solely to local business and government, the input on program contents could be derived from representatives of local organizations that hire the graduates. However, local employment is not the sole objective for undergraduate majors in Information Systems. Students from IS programs accept jobs in widely dispersed geographic areas. Therefore, availability of curriculum models enables local academic units to maintain academic programs that are consistent both with employment needs across the country and with the common body of knowledge of the IS field. The first IS curriculum models were introduced in the early 1970s. This early work was followed by model curricula developed by ACM and DPMA. Details of this history are reviewed in Appendix 2. Professional society curriculum reports serve several other objectives. One important use is to provide a local academic unit with rationale to obtain proper resources to support its program. Often, administration at the local institution is not aware of the resources, course offerings, computing hardware, software, and laboratory resources needed for a viable program. Administration may be unaware of the specialized classroom technology, library resources, or laboratory assistants essential for proper education of IS undergraduates. Finally, administration might not recognize the rapid turnover of knowledge in the field and the need for resources to support constant retooling of faculty. Curriculum reports provide recommendations in these resource areas as well as content for the necessary body of knowledge. They provide important information for local IS academic units to use in securing from their institution the necessary levels of support. The importance of the curriculum effort is based on continuing strong demand for graduates. A strong demand for IS professionals is forecast by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to continue through the year 2005 (Occupational Outlook Quarterly 1993). For example, the forecast increase in demand for system analysts is 110 percent for the period 1992-2005, averaging over 8 percent annually. Of all occupations analyzed, the systems analyst position is projected to have one of the highest demands. The IS field also remains attractive in regard to compensation. In 1993, raises in IS were second highest of all professions, only slightly below engineering (Sullivan-Trainor 1994). These growth and pay level factors indicate undergraduate degrees in IS will continue to be in strong demand over the next decade. In a time of restricted academic budgets, some IS academic departments have been under downsizing pressure from other academic disciplines in their own institutions, citing a decline in employment in central IS organizations. However, there is no lessening in demand for IS knowledge and ability in organizations; to the contrary, the demand is expanding as the functional areas of the organization gain more capability in IS. Many areas of the organization are now hiring IS majors for departmental computing activities. There is also strong demand for the IS minor by students in other disciplines who need IS expertise in order to be effective in their work and to assist in developing applications in their functional area. A third reason that the demand for IS courses will continue to increase is that students in related disciplines want to acquire basic and intermediate IS skills. Every discipline is experiencing growth in computer use, and students who enrich their IS knowledge are at a career advantage.

The past and future history of the Internet

Abstract: The Internet also represents one of the most successful examples of sustained investment and commitment to research and development in information infrastructure. Beginning with early research in packet switching, the government, industry, and academia have been partners in evolving and deploying this exciting new technology. Today, terms like “leiner@mcc.com” and “http://www.acm.org” trip lightly off the tongue of random people on the street.1 The Internet today is a widespread information infrastructure, the initial prototype of what is often called the National (or Global or Galactic) Information Infrastructure. Its history is complex and involves many aspects—technological, organizational, and community. And its influence reaches not only to the technical fields of computer communications but throughout society as we move toward increasing use of online tools to accomplish electronic commerce, information acquisition, and community operations.2

The Future of the Nonprofit Sector: Its Entwining with Private Enterprise and Government

Abstract: The nonprofit sector - neither private enterprise nor governmental - is growing rapidly, and not only in the United States This article explores three questions about the sector, which includes large elements of such service industries as universities, hospitals, nursing homes, day-care centers, museums, social services, and organizations promoting medical research, environmental protection, and the arts These questions are: (a) Why is the nonprofit sector expanding worldwide?; (b) How is the growth of nonprofits affecting other parts of the economy?; and (c) What evidence is there that nonprofits make a difference, that they perform functions which private firms or government cannot perform? A major theme is that the sector's growth necessitates finding ways to increase revenues, and that has brought side effects, particularly as nonprofits have become more and more "commercial" In the process, borders between the nonprofit and both the for-profit and public sectors are being crossed increasingly, and with consequences that often pose problems

Privatization in the United States

Abstract: In the United States, the two principal modes of producing local government services are in-house provision by government employees and contracting out to private suppliers, also known as privatization. We examine empirically how U.S. counties choose the mode of providing services. The evidence indicates that state clean-government laws and state laws restricting county spending encourage privatization, whereas strong public unions discourage it. This points to the important roles played by political patronage and taxpayer resistance to government spending in the privatization decision.