MGT C42: Public ManagementSpring Semester 2009

Lecture NotesProfessor Borins

Objectives of the Course• Understand public sector institutions, processes,

changes• Develop skills of effective public managers• Prepare for careers in or dealing with public sector• Learn from current events:• 2008 Canadian and US federal elections• January 27, 2009 federal budget and confidence vote• 2007 Ontario election and 2009 Ontario budget• First two months of Obama administration

Role of the public sector, especially in a financial crisis and severe recession

How public management differs from business Outline of classes

Course administrative arrangementsEvaluation and assignmentsTexts and readingsAdmission to course Student information formContacting meSandford Borins award for top student in course

Roles in Yes Prime Minister

• Sir Humphrey Appleby, Cabinet Secretary• Frank, Permanent Secretary (Deputy Minister) of the

Treasury• Head of the British Tobacco Group (lobbyist)• Prime Minister James Hacker• Bernard, Hacker’s personal secretary, a seconded

public servant (divided loyalty)• Dr. Peter Thorne, Minister of State for Health• Leslie Potts, Minister for Sports• Permanent Secretary for Health

Analyzing Yes Prime Minister

• What are the characters’ objectives (PM, ministers, public servants, lobbyists)?

• What management skills are demonstrated by Hacker, Thorne, and Sir Humphrey ?

• What are the sources of humour?

Theory of Public Choice

• Application of rational self-interest to public sector (politicians, public servants, business and lobbyists)

• Rent-seeking society and bureaucratic budget maximization

• Do you find this theory convincing ?• Is it applicable to behaviour of parties in an

election campaign?

Evolving Public Policy

Minister Thorne’s “radical” agenda (for 1984)• Ban smoking in public places• Ban tobacco advertising and sponsorships• Punitive taxation on tobacco products

Alternative View of the Public Sector

Donna Shalala: former university president, appointed secretary of Health and Human Services in Clinton admin (1993-2001), lecture in honour of Elliott Richardson, a former cabinet secretary

Next Week’s Readings

• Shalala handout• Goldenberg, pp. 386-88• Chretien, pp. 2-3 (RP)• Borins and Blakeney, chapter 7• Goldenberg, chapter 3• Flanagan, pp. 272-3, 288-9 (RP)• Prof. Borins blog posts on federal and US

election (www.sandfordborins.com)

Next Week Student Presentations

2 groups of 3 students (presentations of 10 minutes maximum): Conservatives: Ritesh Kotak, Nisha Vijh, Alex Tong; Liberals: Peng Hao, Stefan Perera

Discuss the Conservative Party of Canada (www.conservative.ca for group 1) and Liberal Party of Canada (www.liberal.ca for group 2) websites in terms of election readiness; balance between self-advocacy and attack; balance among leader, party, policy; scope for citizen initiative; social networking; branding and look and feel; technological sophistication; use of languages (English, French, other); provision for people with disabilities; and privacy protection. Evaluate the site’s effectiveness.