Challenges
What is a wicked policy problem?
Wicked Policy Problems – Highly resistant to solutions
Wicked problems contrast with tame
problems, which may be complex but can
be defined and a solution can be identified
in a linear, rational way (Rittel & Webber,
1973)
What is preemption?
This term describes a hierarchical legal system where, generally, federal laws supersede state and local laws, and state laws supersede local laws.
Can the administration of government ever be value-free or truly neutral? Justify your answer.
No, administration involves "Who gets what, when, and how", so almost any decision made in local government will have tradeoffs where one group benefits and another group may lose.
What is the incremental theory of policy making?
Building on Simon’s work, Charles
Lindbolm (1959) suggested that the
most common policy-making
approach is something he called
“successive limited comparisons” (p.
81) or incrementalism
Instead of revaluating all
government activities every year,
policymakers tend to make
adjustments at the margins (Ex. Budgets)
For local government councils, what is the difference between an agenda-setting or working session and a regular session?
Working sessions and agenda-setting meetings are generally designed to learn more about agenda items rather than taking binding votes which happen in the regularly scheduled sessions.
What is one of the most difficult challenges facing rural local governments, and how do these challenges differ from those encountered by urban/suburban cities in some states?
Hundreds of small and rural municipal governments are at risk of disincorporation because these communities rely on a limited property tax base, given their small populations and lack of
commercial development. In some states, urban/suburban cities are flourishing while rural towns are barely making ends meet.
What does preemptive nullification refer to?
Nullification: When a state retroactively nullifies
something that a local government has already passed.
What three questions make up the core of strategic management?
Strategic Management Continually Asks: What should we do? How should we do it? How are we doing?
What is a public policy?
A public policy is the statements or actions taken by
government regarding what it intends to do about a public problem.
Theories of the policy process explain the
formulation and implementation of public policies.
What does the planning commission do?
The Planning Commission meets regularly to deliberate and make recommendations to the Mayor & Commission regarding Planned Development requests, Special Use requests, Rezoning requests, the Planning & Zoning code, the Comprehensive Plan, and other planning and development-related.
Which sector, the private sector or the public sector (particularly at the state and local government levels), experienced a quicker recovery in employment levels?
Private Sector
What is the difference between floor and ceiling preemption?
Ceiling preemption is when the state prevents local
governments from exceeding a state-imposed policy/regulation. An example of a ceiling preemption is tax and expenditure limits (TELs) which set a ceiling on tax rates or levies.
Floor preemptions are the near opposite of ceiling
preemption. Rather than prohibiting any policy/regulatory action above a state minimum, floor preemption sets the statewide minimum as the baseline, and localities are free to set their own
higher levels. This is a preemption in so much as a locality is not free to set a policy/regulation lower than the state minimum.
What were the Hawthorne experiments?
1927 Factory experiments intended to capture the effect of lighting on workplace productivity were conducted by Elton Mayo.
Instead of treating the workers as an appendage to ‘the machine’, the Hawthorne experiments brought to light ideas concerning motivational influences, job satisfaction, resistance to change, group norms, worker participation, and effective leadership.
What is bounded rationality?
Rather than humans being rational (i.e., perfect information, clearly ordered preferences, and the ability to fully consider the implications of all available options).
Nobel Prize winner, Herbert Simon suggested that humans have limited information, unclear preferences,
and are unaware of all possible options (i.e., are boundedly rational)
What is a consent agenda?
A collection of items that are considered routine or non-controversial and are approved together without individual discussion.
What is the difference between the "Laboratories of Democracy" and "Laboratories against Democracy"?
Laboratories of Democracy - Louis Brandeis (1932) - Viewed as a positive since subnational governments can experiment with new policies without impacting other areas. (Ex. Massachusetts -> ACA)
Laboratories Against Democracy - Jacob Grumbach (2022) - Rather than seeking societal betterment, this perspective argues that subnational governments try to restrict democracy and restrict rights (Ex. "Race to the bottom" for welfare policies).
According to Hanson and Zeemering (2021), which organization is responsible for the increase in preemptive actions taken by state governments?
The American Legislative Exchange
Council (ALEC) (p. 48)
What is POSDCORB?
POSDCORB captures seven basic principles
that were supposedly applicable to all
organizations regardless of purpose, place,
or clientele—planning, organizing, staffing,
directing, coordinating, reporting, and
budgeting
What is legislative professionalism?
This term is used to characterize the capacity of legislatures and the degree to which legislators’ primary career is as a legislator. (Kerbs and Rocca, 2022, p.1)
What happens in an executive or closed session?
These terms are used to describe portions of the meeting that are closed to the public for discussing matters that are confidential or private by law such as personnel decisions or pending legal action
Name five challenges faced by local governments
• Increasing Preemption
Increasing Urban Sprawl
The Growing Urban-Rural Divide
Decreasing State and Federal Funding for Infrastructure
Staffing difficulties - Recruiting, retaining, and rewarding high-performing employees
Difficulties in implementing artificial intelligence (AI)
A rising number of threats against public officials
Nationalization of local politics
What is the difference between express and implied preemption?
Express Preemption: When the state law explicitly (or expressly) conveys its intent to limit or entirely
restrict lower levels of government from regulating a
particular policy area.
Implied Preemption: Implied Preemption: When state law can be used to invalidate a lower-level authority even though explicit preemptory language does not exist. It can also include barriers states create to prevent local policy adoption.
What does each letter in the acronym SMART, SWOT, and SOAR stand for?
SMART Goal Setting – Specific, Measurable, Aggressive but Attainable, Result-Oriented, and Time-bound
SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,
and Threats
SOAR: Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results
What is policy diffusion? Provide one example of policy diffusion.
Policy diffusion is defined as one
government’s policy choices being
influenced by the choices of other
governments (Shipan and Volden, 2012,
p. 899) - Lotteries, sports betting, cannabis, etc.
10 (half are up for election every two years in May)
They are elected by members of their district rather than through at-large elections.