Chapter 1 : Accountability
Americans expect?
...government to be effective, efficient, equitable, and accountable
What Is Accountability?
1. A relationship between people about things 2. Foundation of bureaucracy because it allows policymakers to control administrators' actions 3. Accountability may seem negative because it focuses on discovering problems
Elements of Accountability
1. Fiscal Accountability 2. Process Accountability 3. Program Accountability
Approaches to Accountability
1. Legal boundaries 2. Political Challenges 3. Evolving policy problems
Difficulties of Bureaucratic Accountability #3
Accountability may inhibit bold action and the ability attract the best administrators to public service
Difficulties of Bureaucratic Accountability #1
Elected officials do not want a clear chain of accountability because it makes them more accountable in return.
Difficulties of Bureaucratic Accountability #2
It is important to strike a balance of controls for administrators so work get done... and is well done!
Ethical behavior
adherence to moral standards and avoidance of even the appearance of unethical actions
Legal boundaries
balancing individual freedom and governmental power
Process Accountability
concerned with how agencies perform their tasks
Program Accountability
concerned with whether a public program has achieved its purpose as defined in law
Fiscal Accountability
concerned with whether agency officials spend money on the programs they are charged with managing and only on those programs -most widespread
Accountability
faithful obedience to the law, to higher officials' directions, and to standards of efficiency and economy
whistleblowers
individuals who divulge details about the behavior of other members of their organization who might be in violation of the law.
Progressives
reformers who campaigned for stronger government regulation to protect citizens from private power and more public programs to improve the lives of ordinary Americans.
Essence of public administration
solving problems using government involves coordinating complex systems and politics is involved
Exit
the decision by members of an organization to leave, especially because they disagree with policies and programs
Voice
the decision by members of an organization to remain within an organization and protest policies and programs with which they disagree
rule of law
the legal boundaries that constrain and channel administrative action.
politics-administration dichotomy
the separation of political decision making from administrative policy implementation.