Administrative Reform in America: An Overview

Introduction to Administrative Reform

• Overview of administrative reform in America.
• Importance in the context of public administration.

Historical Background and Motivation

• America's revolutionary origins and continuous reform movements.
• The role of state and local governments as reform incubators.

Types of Reform

• Downsizing: Reducing government size and expenditure.
• Reinventing and Reengineering: Modernizing processes and structures.
• Continuous Improvement: Ongoing enhancements in public administration.

Characteristics of U.S. Public Management Reform

• Innovation often rooted in private sector.
• Bottom-up reform approach.
• Transition of reforms from local to federal level.

Sources and Motivations for Reform

• Balancing ideals with pragmatism in American politics.
• Responses to unmet government expectations.
• Variations in political and administrative motivations.

Downsizing Government

• Historical context and examples, like Prop 13 and Taxpayer Bill of Rights.
• Federal level implementations in the 1980s.

Reinventing Government

• Osborne & Gaebler’s influence and Clinton Administration initiatives.
• Emphasis on efficiency and downsizing the workforce.

Reengineering in Government

• Fundamental process redesign for efficiency.
• Challenges and potential pitfalls.

Continuous Improvement and Motivation

• Employee motivation and quality-focused reforms.
• Total Quality Management and its impact.

Delivery Frameworks

• Sir Michael Barber’s principles for effective goal-setting and delivery.
• Examples of successful implementation.

Assessing the Reforms

• Comparison of different reform approaches.
• Ongoing challenges and future prospects.

Conclusion

• Persistent nature of administrative reform.
• Embracing technology and innovation in modern governance.