Week 4 Discussion 1: What Hinders Effective Presidential Man

41 Week 4 Discussion1what Hinders Effective Presidential Management

What hinders effective presidential management? Are all presidents focused on effective presidential management? In your opinion, is one factor greater than another?

Can you provide some examples of how Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were effective presidential managers?

According to the text, even though most government programs work well most of the time, Americans tend to be disappointed with government due to their high expectations about government on one hand and their revolutionary roots on the other hand. What do you think about the expectations of Americans of their government?

Do you think these expectations help or hinder government performance or are inconsequential to government performance?

Examine the checklist that was developed by an interagency task force for choosing an organizational structure and select the criteria that you find to be the best in terms of their relevancy and in terms of the way they are able to keep administrative agencies accountable to the public for results and transparency. Which ones do you think are most often in conflict with each other? - public acceptance - adaptability - professional competence - participation, representativeness, and diversity - effective database - cost and timeliness - promotion of private efficiency - accountability to the president - accountability to Congress - compatibility with state regulation.

Discuss the 2010 Pew Center on the States and Public Policy survey cited in the text where residents of the five most financially distressed states commented on their distrust of government yet their high expectations of that government. What do you think of these incongruities?

Comparing bureaucracies around the world, does it strike you as strange that the U.S. bureaucracy, as measured proportionately as government employment as a share of total employment, falls in the middle range of the world’s industrialized nations? Do you find it strange that the U.S. bureaucracy is far smaller than the government bureaucracies of Ireland, France, Finland, Hungary, and Canada and about the same size as those of Australia, Portugal, Poland, and Spain?

What do you think accounts for large government bureaucracy and our perceptions of them from country to country?

Civil Service employees can be fired for just cause but according to the text, “...the larger problem is removal of the mediocre.” Often people get redistributed because it is so difficult to fire them. What do you think about this?

Paper For Above instruction

Effective presidential management is central to the successful functioning of the federal government, yet several factors hinder its optimal execution. These include structural constraints, political influences, and personal leadership styles. Not all presidents focus equally on management; some prioritize political agendas over administrative efficiency, which can impede policy implementation and organizational coherence. Among presidents, Bill Clinton demonstrated effective management through his emphasis on policy initiative coordination and organizational reforms, enhancing executive branch functionality. Similarly, George W. Bush focused on restructuring agencies and legislative priorities, which reflected strategic management aimed at policy objectives.

The expectations Americans harbor for their government are often paradoxical—a high level of disappointment despite functional success. This stems from a historical distrust rooted in revolutionary ideals, coupled with elevated expectations for government’s role in societal welfare. While such expectations motivate demand for accountability, they also risk fostering disillusionment when government performs effectively but does not meet the idealized standards. This tension often hinders government’s ability to perform optimally because public scrutiny becomes heightened and sometimes unrealistic, thereby complicating administrative accountability and legitimacy.

When evaluating organizational structure, criteria such as accountability to the public, transparency, and adaptability are crucial. These criteria serve as safeguards for democratic oversight and responsive governance. However, conflicts often arise between accountability to Congress and the President, as agencies must balance political oversight with executive direction. Similarly, the promotion of private efficiency can conflict with public acceptance if privatization leads to perceptions of inequality or reduced service quality. Ensuring both accountability and responsiveness remains an ongoing challenge as structural reforms attempt to harmonize conflicting priorities.

The 2010 Pew survey highlights a troubling incongruity: residents of financially distressed states express deep distrust of government while simultaneously maintaining high expectations of its performance. This paradox reflects a broader societal phenomenon where skepticism about government’s integrity coexists with hope for effective action. Such disconnect can undermine civic engagement and policy support, impairing efforts to address critical issues like economic recovery or social justice.

Globally, U.S. bureaucracy's size appears moderate compared to other industrialized nations—smaller than many European countries like France and Finland, yet comparable to Australia and some Eastern European nations. Factors accounting for variations include national governance philosophies, economic structures, and historical development of public administration. Countries like France and Finland maintain larger bureaucracies partly due to extensive social programs and welfare systems, influencing perceptions of government size and efficiency. In contrast, the U.S. emphasizes efficiency and limited government, resulting in a comparatively leaner bureaucracy.

Regarding civil service employment, the difficulty of removing underperforming employees poses significant challenges. While firing for cause should ensure accountability, bureaucratic inertia and employment protections often lead to the redistribution of mediocre employees rather than dismissal. This compromises organizational efficiency and public trust, emphasizing the need for balanced employment policies that safeguard rights while promoting meritocracy and accountability within public agencies.

References

• Wilson, J. Q. (2012). Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It. Basic Books.
• Kettl, D. F. (2015). The Transformation of Governance: Public Administration for the 21st Century. Johns Hopkins University Press.
• Perry, J. L., & Rainey, H. G. (2018). The Public Bureaucracy: An Introduction. Routledge.
• Miller, G. J., & Kettl, D. F. (2017). Policy Theory and Practice. Routledge.
• National Academy of Public Administration. (2016). Civil Service Reform: Challenges and Opportunities.
• Peterson, P. E. (2014). Government by the People: How to Think About Political Science. Routledge.
• Gore, A. (2000). An Inconvenient Truth: The Politics of Climate Change. Times Books.
• Shafritz, J. M., & Russell, E. W. (2017). Classics of Public Administration. Cengage Learning.
• OECD. (2019). Government at a Glance 2019: OECD Indicators. OECD Publishing.
• Radin, B. A. (2013). Challenging the Performance Movement: Accountability, Complexity, and Democratic Values. Georgetown University Press.