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

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?