Course Syllabus
POL 2413—Introduction to Public Administration
CRN 25313.201720
Instructor: Dr. Kenneth Kickham
Office: LA 102 I
Office Hours: Tues. and Thurs. 11:00—1:00
Telephone: 974-5275
Email: [email protected]
Final Exam: April 28 - May 5, 2017
Description: Introduces the study of public administration by exploring the role of a bureaucracy in a
democracy, applying management and organizational theory to the public setting, and illustrating the
work life of a public administrator through various simulations and case studies. Particular focus will be
on the concepts and problems of public administration with emphasis on the development of
organizations, management of human resources, ethical practice, emerging professionalism, and oversight
of governmental budgeting and finance.
About the Facilitator: Born in Illinois during the Kennedy administration, Dr. Kickham holds a B.S. in
Accounting from OSU, an MPA and a PhD in Political Science from OU, and a Master of Adult
Education from UCO. For six years he was a real live bureaucrat with the Department of Human
Services, Oklahoma’s largest agency in terms of personnel. As an agency Comptroller, Dr. Kickham
exercised budget responsibility for over $350,000,000. As a program evaluator, he has conducted
numerous studies pertaining to bureaucratic endeavors at all levels of government. His articles are
published in public administration, political science, sociology, anthropology and business journals, and
he is former president of the National Association for Welfare Research and Statistics.
About the word “facilitator” as used in this course: In education circles, the term learning community
has become commonplace. It is being used to mean any number of things, such as extending classroom
practice into the community; bringing community personnel into the school to enhance the curriculum
and learning tasks for students; or engaging students, teachers, and administrators simultaneously in
learning - to suggest just a few. I use the term to convey a sense of what our experience will be like this
semester as we participate in an organization characterized by the following elements:
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collegial and facilitative participation of Dr. Kickham, who shares leadership - and thus, power
and authority - through inviting student input in decision making;
shared vision that is developed from unswerving commitment to learning, and that is consistently
articulated and referenced;
collective learning among students and facilitator, and application of that learning to solutions
that address the needs of the learning community;
supportive review of each community member’s classroom performance by peers as a feedback
and assistance activity to support individual and community improvement; and,
physical conditions that support such an operation.
I have found this learning community approach a good fit for P.A., so expect the unexpected (as
bureaucrats do).
Required Texts (2):
1.) Denhardt, Robert B., Janet V. Denhardt & Tara A. Blanc. 2014. Public Administration: An Action
Orientation (7th Edition), Wadsworth. ISBN: 1133939214.
2.) Sharp, Brett S., et al. 2016. Managing in the Public Sector: A Casebook in Ethics and Leadership (2nd
Edition), Routledge. ISBN: 978-1138684799.
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, student will be able to do the following.
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Critically evaluate theories of public administration and place them in the context of societal values.
o Locate the role of public administration within the U.S. political system.
o Describe and critique the politics/administration dichotomy.
o Connect present day governmental and nonprofit service delivery dynamics with the
historical evolution of federalism and intergovernmental relations.
Describe and apply human resource management techniques.
o Analyze and critically evaluate various perspectives on human resource management.
o Place the politics of civil service reform in historical perspective.
o Demonstrate expertise in applying federal statutes and Supreme Court rulings to contentious
workplace issues.
Apply theories of management and leadership to workplace issues.
o Analyze various perspectives on management and leadership.
o Apply theories of motivation to specific situations.
o Analyze the politics of administrative reform at federal, state and local levels.
Identify and evaluate various budgeting and financial management techniques.
o Categorize various types of taxes in terms of vertical and horizontal equity.
o Differentiate the conceptual justifications of the various perspectives on federalism and
intergovernmental cooperation.
o Construct logical and practical defenses of American fiscal and monetary policy.
o Analyze the politics of the budgetary process with an emphasis on incrementalism as the key
explanatory variable.
Apply organization theory and decision theory to public service, including the concepts of rationality
and humanism.
o Apply the ideas of scholars to organizational design and decision making.
o Compare theories of ethics and decision making, and examine the political context of public
bureaucracies.
o Apply moral philosophy to public service, including the concepts of administrative discretion
and conflict of interest.
o Apply to a specific problem a practical understanding of ethics, decision making, and the
political context of public bureaucracies.
Apply the scientific method to a set of related social, economic, political or governmental
phenomena.
o Evaluate the claim that public policies reflect the people's preferences.
o Apply the techniques of policy analysis to a problem in society or government.
o Evaluate various administrative reform movements in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and
equity.
o Critically evaluate the increasing reliance on profit-seeking organizations.
Course requirements and evaluation:
Orientation Quiz: Each student must complete the Orientation Quiz (at the end of the Orientation
module) with a score of 100% before the first content module will open.
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Response times for grading: All assignments listed below will be graded within one week of due date.
Research Paper (15% of course grade): Each student will conduct individual research into a topic of his
or her choosing with the professor’s approval. Research papers will flow from hypotheses developed
during class discussions, and draw from a minimum of five resources including books, scholarly articles,
government documents, personal interviews, or other approved sources, and incorporate appropriate
references. Internet resources can be used, but as with all sources they must be cited properly. The paper
will be typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins on the sides, top, and bottom. Your paper should be
written in a consciously chosen and approved style (APA, MLA, etc.), while observing the rules of
correct spelling and sentence structure. NUMBER YOUR PAGES! Papers turned in late will be reduced
in grade at the professor’s discretion. This research paper should be treated as an exercise in developing
analytical and critical skills, and as an opportunity to express research in the form of a reasoned, consistent
argument. The equally weighted sections of your paper are:
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2.
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4.
Introduction—context of the problem is outlined, including background, and the problem is defined.
Literature Review—theoretical perspective is developed, leading to a specific testable hypothesis.
Hypothesis—formal articulation of how “A” is expected to affect “B” (e.g., positively or negatively).
Method and data—description of how you are going to measure your constructs and test your
hypothesis.
5. Findings—e.g., Are increases (or decreases) in the value of A associated with increases (or decreases)
in the value of B?
6. Conclusion—What does this imply for theory, for practice, and future research?
Online Presentations (5%): Each student will be required to make an online presentation to the class
based on the student's original research. The presentations must incorporate an acceptable and approved
form of online technology.
Examinations (45%): This course will include three exams. Expect multiple choice for the most part,
with short answer or essay elements possible.
Case Study Exercises (25%): Over the course of the semester, each student will complete the discussion
questions for 5 case studies from the Sharp, et al. text. Students are free to choose the case studies, with a
maximum of ONE case study per chapter. Complete, well-written answers are expected.
Participation (10%): Points are based primarily on quantity and quality of discussion posts.
GRADING RUBRIC FOR DISCUSSIONS AND CASE STUDIES:
Mechanics:
 No grammar or spelling issues = 2 points
 Minor grammar and/or spelling issues = 1 point
 More than three grammar and/or spelling errors = 0 points
Substance:
 Substantive information and/or opinion = 2 points
 Some, but very little, information and/or opinion = 1 point
 No information and/or opinion = 0 points
Length:
 More than 100 words = 2 points
 Between 50 and 100 words = 1 point
 Fewer than 50 words = 0 points
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Assignments: The following list of assignments is subject to change at the discretion of the facilitator.
Week
Begin
Date
Topic
Readings and Assignments
1
1/9
Public Administration Values and
Administration
Sharp Introduction
2
1/16
Intro to PA—Personal Action and
Administration
Denhardt Ch. 1, Sharp Ch. 8
3
1/23
Political Context of Public
Administration
Denhardt Ch. 2, Sharp Ch. 9
4
1/30
Inter-organizational Context
Denhardt Ch. 3, Sharp Ch. 11
5
2/6
Review and Exam 1
6
2/13
Ethics and Public Service
Denhardt Ch. 7, Sharp Ch. 10
7
2/20
Designing and Managing Public
Organizations
Denhardt Ch. 8, Sharp Ch. 12
8
2/27
Leadership and Management Skills
Denhardt Ch. 9, Sharp Ch. 2
9
3/6
The Research Paper
Denhardt Ch. 4, Sharp Ch. 7
10
3/13
SPRING BREAK
11
3/20
Review and Exam 2
Submit Online Presentations
12
3/27
Public Finance and Budgeting
Denhardt Ch. 5, Sharp Ch. 3
13
4/3
Human Resource Management
Denhardt Ch. 6, Sharp Ch. 4
14
4/10
Reform Movements
Denhardt Ch. 10, Sharp Ch. 5
15
4/17
The Future of Public Service
Denhardt Ch. 11, Sharp Ch. 6
16
4/24
Review for Final Exam
Submit Research Papers
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4/28
Final Exam (available until 5/5)
Click here for the UCO Student Information Sheet and Syllabus Attachment, or visit the following URL.
http://www.uco.edu/academic-affairs/files/aa-forms/StudentInfoSheet.pdf
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This course directly incorporates the following Transformative Learning Goals:
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Discipline Knowledge – of Government/Political Science by a thorough review of the
public administration theories and applications.
Leadership – by examining the leadership styles and challenges faced by bureaucrats
from the President on down.
Research, Scholarly and Creative Activities – by requiring the critical analysis of current
political, social, and economic issues confronting the American polity, and demonstrating
the written ability to integrate course material on essay questions and/or short papers.
Service Learning and Civic Engagement Activities – by acquiring the knowledge to
become an informed voter, and the motivation to become an active participant in one’s
community.
Global and Cultural Competencies – by examining the ways in which the United States
government relates with the world, and is challenged to react to global issues, such as the
increasingly globalizing economy.
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