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.