"in the early 1990’s the image of the faceless governmental bureaucrat, top-down, regulatory minded, 'Administrative Man' was hypothetically replaced. Enter the champion of the New Public Management, the market driven “Economic Man. He is Reinventing Government---" "An expanded educational approach to civics and cultural literacy may serve to combat this narrow approach to governance. ... Continue Reading →
MPP & MPA Programs in California–Can Good City Management be Taught? by Ken Pulskamp & Wade McKinney (Western City Magazine, April 2015)
"There is an innate challenge in teaching something as complex as city management. It’s not just public finance and organizational behavior, not by a long shot. It’s a delicate balance of practical skills, political savvy, on the job experience, and service. Here in California, we are fortunate to have a plethora of top tier institutions... Continue Reading →
State and Local Government Review–A journal of research and viewpoints on state, local, and intergovernmental issues
As a newly appointed member of the Editorial Board, I am pleased to share with my academic and practitioner friends and colleagues, the link to the State and Local Government Review. It serves as the official journal of the Section on Intergovernmental Administration and Management (SIAM) of the American Society for Public Administration. Veteran members... Continue Reading →
The Milennial Generation–Is There a Challenge to Civic Engagement?, by Stephen Harding, PA Times, June 2016
This quarter I am teaching a graduate course in Public Management and Leadership. Part of last night's class focused on generational differences. Both Frances Kunreuther's essay: "The Changing of the Guard--What Generational Differences Tell Us About Social-Change Organizations," and a David Brooks video: "Humility in the Time of Me," served to generate an interesting discussion... Continue Reading →
Kids Who Read Fiction Are More Engaged, Empathetic Citizens, by Mike Kalin
"To overcome intolerance and bigotry, students must possess the capacity for empathy and understanding that reading fiction fosters. Literature courses don’t teach students every fact about our government, but they do cultivate the civic virtues required to sustain our democracy." Mike Kalin This is an exceptional piece. I normally would add my own two... Continue Reading →
Donald Trump Just Asked Congress to End the Rule of Law– This should be the biggest headline of the speech. By YASCHA MOUNK for Slate
"But Trump’s speech was also deeply dangerous for an even more important reason: Under the cover of his soothing rhetoric about unity and bipartisanship, Trump called on Congress to give him unprecedented and unquestionably antidemocratic powers:" Yascha Mounk https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/01/donald-trump-just-asked-congress-to-end-the-rule-of-law.html This is a clear attempt to validate a return to political patronage. What's worse, it beckons... Continue Reading →
How Donald Trump Could Build an Autocracy in the U.S. – By David Frum, Senior Editor, The Atlantic Magazine, March 2017
This essay is nearly a year old but is clearly worth reading again. When a conservative republican such as David Frum outlines how a pending autocracy can incrementally replace our system of checks and balances, and even the rule of law itself, then an entire nation needs to wake up and break out of its... Continue Reading →
The Forgotten Lessons of the Great War–A Litany of Case Studies for Leaders, Managers, and Citizens–(Now at the Library of Congress)
History is probably the greatest teacher. That is if we are really willing to take the time to learn. One hundred years ago the nation had sent nearly a million Americans to "defend" freedom in Europe. Regardless of race or gender they went to protect the inalienable rights of others. Rights that, for many, were... Continue Reading →
Coming March 1, 2018–The Kerner Report 50 Years Later–Great Cities Institute, University of Illinois, Chicago
For those of you in and around the greater Chicago area, this and the entire series of programs, on the campus of the University of Illinois, Chicago, will be well worth your time. There will come a day when this country fully embraces an honest and open conversation about race, gender, and sexual orientation. Until... Continue Reading →
U.S. Supreme Court New York Times Co. v. United States, 403 U.S. 713 (1971) New York Times Co. v. United States No. 1873 Argued June 26, 1971 Decided June 30, 1971* 403 U.S. 713
Katharine Graham https://youtu.be/nrXlY6gzTTM In 1971, I was a political science major in my senior year in college. This topic dominated the conversation in all of my poli sci classes regardless of the course title and the intended subject matter. From kindergarten on, a civically educated society is an imperative. Education is not just about... Continue Reading →
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