What Government Does

  • Subtitle: Exploring the Role and Functions of Government
  • Brief Overview: Introduction to the topic, emphasizing the importance of understanding government functions in public administration.

The Size of Government

  • Discussion Points:
    • Expansion of government agencies, employees, and spending over time.
    • Debunking five myths about “Big Government,” such as the misconception of government size and spending inefficiency.

How Many Governments

  • Key Points:
    • The structure of the U.S. government system: one federal government, 50 state governments, and over 90,000 local governments.
    • Different levels of government: counties, municipalities, towns, school districts, and special districts.

Government Employment and Spending

  • Analysis:
    • Trends in government employment and spending.
    • The growth and reduction of federal employees and the sustained growth at state and local levels.
    • The relationship between employment growth and population growth.

What Government Does

  • Functions:
    • Overview of various services overseen by the government.
    • Differences in government functions at different levels.
    • The role of public administrators in carrying out these functions.

How Government Does It through Public Administration

  • Mechanisms:
    • Administrative tools used by agencies.
    • Differences between direct and indirect administration.
    • The increasing use of contracts as indirect tools.

Contracts as Indirect Tools

  • Details:
    • Growth in the use of contracts since the mid-20th century.
    • Formal agreements between government and private parties.
    • Challenges in effective management and oversight.

Grants as a Tool

  • Functionality:
    • Role of grants in activities between levels of government.
    • Financial assistance to encourage actions that might not be otherwise affordable or chosen.
    • The competitive nature of grant allocation.

Regulations as a Tool

  • Impact:
    • How government regulations influence various aspects of daily life.
    • The balance between expanding government power and financial constraints.
    • Political implications and ideologies associated with regulation.

Tax Expenditures as a Tool

  • Usage:
    • Role of tax breaks, loopholes, and expenditures in promoting social and economic policies.
    • Influence on state and local taxes in economic growth and investment.

Loan Programs as a Tool

  • Overview:
    • The role of federal lending and loan guarantees as investments in the future.
    • The complexity of public-private administrative strategies.
    • Historical context and administrative decentralization.

Conclusion and Implications

  • Summary:
    • The varying roles of government by level, function, and service provision.
    • The concept of “government by proxy.”
    • Addressing the perception of “big government” as an accountability and trust issue.

Thank You

  • Closing: