Territorial Governments: 5 U.S. territories
(Puerto Rico, Guam, etc.)
Total: Over 90,000 distinct government
entities
Criminal Justice Implication: This creates
coordination challenges for law enforcement across jurisdictions
Government Employment
Reality Check
Where Do
Government Employees Actually Work?
Federal: 2.2 million civilian employees (about 15%
of government workers) State: 5.2 million employees
Local: 14.2 million employees (about 65% of
government workers)
Most government employees work for:
Schools and universities
Police and fire departments
Hospitals and health services
Transportation and utilities
What Does Government
Actually Do?
Core Functions Across
Levels
Providing Services:
Education, public safety, infrastructure, health care
Regulating Behavior:
Traffic laws, business regulations, environmental protection
Redistributing Resources:
Social programs, economic development, disaster relief
Protecting Rights:
Courts, law enforcement, civil rights enforcement
Criminal Justice: A
Multi-Level Example
Federal Level:
FBI, DEA, federal courts, federal prisons
Immigration enforcement, terrorism prevention
State Level:
State police, state courts, state prisons
Crime labs, training academies
Local Level:
Municipal police, county sheriffs, local courts
Local jails, community supervision
The Challenge: Coordinating across all these
levels
How Government Gets Things
Done
Direct vs. Indirect
Administration
Direct Administration: Government employees
provide the service
Modern Reality: Most government work involves both
approaches
Tool 1: Contracts
Government by Contract
The Growth of Contracting:
Massive increase since the 1980s
Now used for everything from IT services to prison operations
Criminal Justice Examples:
Private prisons and detention centers
Contracted food services in jails
Private security for government buildings
Technology contractors for court systems
Key Challenge: How do you maintain accountability
when someone else is doing the work?
Contracting: Benefits and
Risks
Why Government Contracts
Out
Potential Benefits:
Specialized expertise
Cost savings
Flexibility in staffing
Access to latest technology
Potential Risks:
Loss of direct control
Profit motive vs. public interest
Accountability gaps
Dependency on contractors
Real Example: Private prison debates - efficiency
vs. justice concerns
Tool 2: Grants
Using Money to Encourage
Action
How Grants Work: Government provides funding to
encourage activities that might not otherwise happen
Criminal Justice Examples:
COPS grants for community policing
Byrne Justice Assistance Grants for state/local programs
VAWA grants for domestic violence programs
Drug court implementation grants
The Power: Federal government can shape local
priorities through grants
Tool 3: Regulations
The Rules That Shape Daily
Life
Regulations influence everything:
How police conduct searches and arrests
Food safety in restaurants
Building codes for jails and courthouses
Environmental standards for government facilities
Example: Miranda rights - a court ruling that
became standard police procedure nationwide
The Tension: Balancing necessary rules with
flexibility and freedom
Tool 4: Tax Expenditures
Using the Tax Code
to Encourage Behavior
Tax Breaks as Policy Tools:
Mortgage interest deduction (encourages home ownership)
Charitable deductions (supports nonprofits)
Economic development tax credits for businesses
Criminal Justice Connection:
Tax incentives for businesses that hire ex-offenders
Property tax breaks for neighborhood watch programs
Sales tax exemptions for public safety equipment
Tool 5: Loan Programs
Government as Lender and
Guarantor
Examples You Might Know:
Student loans for college
Small business loans
Disaster recovery loans
Housing loans
Criminal Justice Applications:
Loans for police equipment purchases
Funding for jail construction projects
Economic development loans for crime-affected areas
The Reality: Government by
Proxy
What This Means
Government today works through:
Federal employees + state employees + local employees
Private contractors + nonprofit organizations
Grantees + loan recipients + regulated entities
Example: A federal anti-drug program might
involve:
Federal DEA agents
State-funded drug courts
Locally-contracted treatment providers
Nonprofit prevention programs
Private laboratory services
Why This Complexity Matters
Accountability Challenges
When things go wrong, who’s responsible?
The contractor who failed to perform?
The government agency that hired them?
The elected official who approved the contract?
Example: Private prison problems - who’s
accountable for conditions?
The Challenge: Maintaining democratic
accountability in a complex system
The Trust and
Effectiveness Question
Public Perception
vs. Reality
Common Complaints:
“Government is too big”
“Government wastes money”
“Government doesn’t work”
Reality Check:
Most services people value are government-provided
Government often works through private partners
Problems often result from complex coordination needs
Your Role: Understanding how government really
works helps you work within it more effectively
Criminal Justice
Coordination Example
A Drug Investigation Case
Federal: DEA provides intelligence and resources
State: State police coordinate multi-county
operations Local: Local police make arrests and gather evidence
Courts: Multiple court systems handle different
aspects Corrections: Various facilities house
different defendants Private: Labs analyze evidence,
attorneys represent defendants
Question: How do you ensure this complex system
works effectively?
Implications for
Public Administrators
What This Means for Your
Future Work
You’ll Need to:
Coordinate across multiple levels of government
Manage contracts and partnerships effectively
Navigate complex accountability relationships
Balance efficiency with democratic values
Work with diverse stakeholders and organizations
Bottom Line: Modern public administration is about
managing networks, not just hierarchies
Module 3-1 Summary
Key Takeaways:
Government is larger and more complex than most people
realize
Most government work happens at state and local levels
Government uses multiple tools beyond direct service
provision
Modern governance involves extensive partnerships and
contracts
Accountability becomes challenging in complex systems
Understanding this complexity is essential for effective public
administration
Next: How government organizes itself to
accomplish these complex tasks