The Politics of State and City Administration

by Glenn Abney, Thomas P. Lauth

Overview

In The Politics of State and City Administration, Abney and Lauth take a penetrating look at the relationships of state and city administrators to the people with whom they work: legislators, councilors, chief executives, and numerous interest groups seeking to influence administrative decisions and upon whom administrators depend to achieve their objectives. The analysis is based upon information obtained from national surveys of approximately 800 state and 600 city government department heads.

The reader of this book will learn, for example, that governors are perceived by their department heads to be more interested in management than in policy leadership, interest groups are viewed as allies rather than enemies of state administrators, and the emergence of professionalism in administration has reduced the ability of mayors to be chief administrators. The Politics of State and City Administration will be of interest to scholars and students of public administration, state and local government, and public policy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780887062568
Publisher:	State University of New York Press
Publication date:	06/30/1986
Series:	SUNY series in Public Administration
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	260
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Glenn Abney is Professor of Political Science and member of the faculty, Institute of Public Administration, Georgia State University. Thomas P. Lauth is Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the DPA program at the University of Georgia.

Table of Contents

Tables

Acknowledgments

1. The Political Environment of State and City Administration

Part I. The Politics of State Administration
A Brief Introduction to State Government

2. The Tasks of State Administrators

3. The Governor as Chief Administrator

4. The Limits of Legislative Influence

5. Exchanges between Interest Groups and State Administrators

6. "Speaking Truth to Power" in the State Appropriations Process

Part II. The Politics of City Administration
A Brief Introduction to City Government

7. Reform and Rational Decision Making

8. Influence of the Chief Executive on City Line Agencies

9.Council Intervention in Municipal Administration

10. Interest Group Influence in City Policy Making

11. A Comparative Analysis of Service Distribution and Rule Enforcement Decisions in Cities

12. Conclusion

Notes

Index