Instructor:
Nancy McCarthy Snyder

Prerequisites:
None

Course Objectives:

• An understanding of the governmental and political institutions that underlie the practice of public administration at the state and local levels.
• An understanding of the nonprofit sector and its role in the public administration environment.
• Recognition of the challenges facing both public and nonprofit managers in the complex environment within which public and nonprofit organizations operate.
• A working awareness of the structure and function of state and local government and of the nonprofit sector including constitutional authority, board governance, legislative process, intergovernmental relations, government-nonprofit relations, interest groups and stakeholders.

Course Description:
Designed to help students develop an understanding of: a) the governmental and political complexities within which public administration operates; b) the nonprofit sector – including its major public-benefits subcomponents – and its role in the public administration environment; and c) challenges facing both public and non-governmental actors.  Students should develop a working awareness of the significant concepts and components of the governance, politics, and institutions, that enables them to analyze forces of change in this challenging environment.

Major Topics Covered:
Federalism
Constitutions
Political parties and political culture
Interest groups and the media
Legislatures and nonprofit boards
Governors/chief executives
Courts
Bureaucracy and organizational culture
Intergovernmental relations/government-nonprofit relations
Public and nonprofit finance
Future trends/e-government
Government and governance

Typical Textbooks and Readings:
Kevin B. Smith, Alan Greenblatt and Michele Mariani.  Governing States & Localities, 2nd Edition.  Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2008.

Lester M. Salamon.  America’s Nonprofit Sector:  A Primer, 2nd Edition.  New York:  The Foundation Center, 1999.

Donald F. Kettl.  The Transformation of Governance: Public Administration for 21st Century America.  Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002.