National Association Of Schools Of Public Affairs And Administration Research Articles

Internationalization of Master Programmes in Public Administration. An EU-US Comparative Study

The master programmes in the field of public administration reveal two trends, and in spite of being contradictory they ensure both the convergence and specificity imposed by the continental/national realities: A thematic focus on public management (MPM), public policies (MPP) or public affairs (MPA); A diversification of the content and didactic methodologies related to the traditions and national public developments.For the European states, Bologna process has induced standards for content, form and structure, supporting a possible framework of convergence of these programmes in view of their integration into the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). The current paper aims to highlight the levels of compatibility in terms of content, forms of organisation and finality, based on the analysis of master programmes in the European and American universities. The target group comprises programmes provided by prestigious European and American universities, accredited by the European Association for Public Administration Accreditation (EAPAA) or National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). The general framework of comparative analysis will comprise: criteria and standards of evaluation of EAPAA/NASPAA; knowledge provided by programme about: society, political system, governmental policies, bureaucratic organisations and their management, methods and techniques of governmental management, methods and techniques of communication. Research methods: documentation and study of collections of information for each programme, qualitative and comparative analyses as well as statistic and correlation evaluations.

From theory to practice: utilizing integrative seminars as bookends to the Master of Public Administration program of study

Integrative seminar style courses are most often used as an application-oriented capstone in place of a thesis or comprehensive exam requirement in Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree programs. This article describes and discusses the benefits of a unique approach of one National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA)–accredited U.S. MPA program that employs integrative seminar style courses at both the start and end of the program of study. The first seminar integrates theory while the last seminar integrates practice, while both utilize reflection as a synthesizing pedagogy. The other core courses in the program of study use distinct theories to analyze practice while building core competencies. This article explores the importance of theory in a professional degree program, describes and explains both integrative seminars, and discusses the value fostered by the pattern of synthesis-analysis-synthesis facilitated through integrative seminars and reflective pedagogies.

Raising the Ranks of Public Sector Leaders: Results of a National Survey of Executive Masters of Public Administration Programs

Faced with an impending demographic and cultural shift in the ranks of public service, government agencies, non-profits and private contractors for public sector are exploring ways to develop the next generation of public service leaders. Leadership development encompasses a diverse set of strategies ranging from informal mentoring to executive degree programs for experienced public service professionals. Yet there is scant assessment of these programs of the scope and impact of specific leadership development programs. The article presents the findings of the first national survey of executive degree programs offered by National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) for public service professionals and examines their role in leadership development in the public sector. The survey results suggest that the strength Executive MPA degree is the capacity to engage a diverse cohort of public sector professionals in a sustained manner and bridge traditional academic content with experiential learning. The findings also reflect continued challenges with Executive MPA programs, including securing funding, making the programs more relevant to the specific missions of organizations, and the impact of Executive MPA programs on improving public policy.

Online Education in Public Affairs: Current State and Emerging Issues

The advances in, and diffusion of, technology have resulted in a growth of online educational opportunities. While programs in public affairs are part of this proliferation in online education, there is limited information on the current state of online education in this area. Using data collected from a survey of 96 National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) affiliated institutions, this exploratory study provides an overview of the current landscape of online education in the fields of Master of Public Administration and Master of Public Policy (MPA/MPP). Areas studied include the rationales for offering or not offering online education, concerns with technology, modes of online instruction, student services, faculty and staff demands, and enrollment patterns. The primary goal stated for offering courses and degrees online is to reach more students. We found substantial diversity in teaching methods and types of degrees and concentrations, which suggests students and instructors alike are attracted to online education due to its flexibility. Surprisingly, we did not find any significant problems with technological concerns. Apprehension about the quality and effectiveness of online education persist in the field of public affairs, as well concerns about faculty and staff workloads in online education. Finally, this survey suggests that the most successful schools are those that offer particularized degree concentrations that are able to recruit from a niche market.

Emergency Management Research and Practice in Public Administration: Emergence, Evolution, Expansion, and Future Directions

In 1984, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) collaborated to foster a community of scholars focused on research and professional practice in emergency management. The intent was to build a community of researchers and professional practitioners who would support improved performance for an increasingly challenging set of problems confronting emergency managers at all levels of jurisdiction. The financial investment was small, but the NASPAA/FEMA initiative led to the evolution of a community of scholars engaged in emergency management research and professional practice. The authors review changes in FEMA since the 1984 workshop and the impact of the NASPAA/FEMA fellows on research and practice in emergency management, placing this initiative in the wider context of public administration.

Leading by Example: Modeling Global Public Service Excellence

I am truly honored to assume the presidency of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), and I thank you for entrusting me with this responsibility. Being selected by my peers for this position is incredibly humbling. The ranks of prior NASPAA presidents include so many individuals whom I hold in high regard, people who are true giants in terms of their scholarship and stature in the profession, and in terms of the contributions they made to shaping NASPAA over the years. I want to begin by thanking Fran Berry for her leadership as president during the past year, and Jeff Raffel for his role as immediate past president. Together these two individuals have set the bar high for the level of engagement and commitment as well as the work accomplished during their respective tenures. They have also been a delight to work with as part of the Executive Committee. I also want to extend my thanks to Rex Facer for agreeing to serve as chair of the Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA) in what will be the first year of full-scale implementation of the competency-based standards, and to Susan Gooden for her foresight in articulating the need for the Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) initiative and for developing a specific proposal for a NASPAA-led response. I also want to acknowledge and express appreciation to all of the NASPAA staff. I consider myself particularly fortunate to have had the opportunity to work closely with Laurel McFarland, Crystal Calarusse, and Stacy Drudy; I look forward to continuing working with them and also to working with the rest of the staff in the coming year. And, without mentioning names, I want to thank all those people who have—over the years—mentored me, provided me with opportunities, trusted in me, and worked alongside me in support of NASPAA's mission. NASPAA is an association dedicated to goals and values that are personally and professionally central to me, and I am excited to have this opportunity to lead the Association in the coming year as it continues to redefine how best to enhance the quality of public affairs education in a changing world. I would like

Reformulating and Refocusing a Fiscal Administration Curriculum

Public administration programs are familiar and comfortable with the self-study and analysis that comes with the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) accreditation process. NASPAA’s curriculum standards historically have focused on core competencies for all Master of Public Administration (MPA) students. There is a noticeable lack of guidance regarding what competencies are desirable for various specializations. No guidelines are available to benchmark the curriculum for the public budgeting and financial management specialization. This essay explicitly addresses the differences in the core skill sets necessary for public managers in general versus those necessary for managers who will be finance specialists, and offers a methodology to reformulate and refocus their fiscal administration core and specialty curricula.

No Time like the Present: Making Rule of Law and Constitutional Competence the Theoretical and Practical Foundation for Public Administration Graduate Education Curriculum

Most Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Master of Public Policy (MPP) programs across the United States focus extensively on policy analysis, management, and leadership, because organizations like the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), and the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) have determined that these areas comprise the core intellectual and practical dimensions of the MPA and MPP degrees. The omission of required curricula that emphasize the legal and constitutional basis of public administration theory and practice should be of central concern to the public administration education community. Constitutional competence as well as a wide understanding of how the rule the of law affects nearly every dimension of public administration is not optional for effective and responsible democratic governance in the 21st century. If MPA/MPP graduates enter the public sector workforce without the knowledge that they can be held personally and professionally liable if they violate citizens’ constitutionally protected rights, public administration educators have not provided them with some of the most important skills necessary for constitutionally competent public sector management.

A Profile of Villanova University’s Partnership with Local Government Managers

In this case study, we describe and assess how the Villanova University Master of Public Administration (MPA) program involves practitioners in local government management education. We present student and faculty views on the effectiveness and quality of the university’s one-credit courses on different topics taught by local government managers and the three-credit course on effective city management team-taught by three township managers. We also review the contributions of municipal internships to Villanova MPA students’ education and career trajectories. Finally, we explain the curriculum featured in the university’s Graduate Certificate in City Management program and stress the advantage of offering the certificate to pre-master’s and post-master’s students, as well as to MPA students choosing to specialize in city management. Data from a 2009 survey of program directors from National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) member schools indicate that the combination of Villanova’s practices is unique. Because the students and faculty believe this approach is an effective one, we offer the university’s model as one way for full-time faculty to partner with local government professionals to help recruit and educate the next generation of city and county managers.

Municipal Managers: Regional Champions or Agents of Parochialism?

How local government managers acquire skills and knowledge of policy approaches applicable to multijurisdictional problems is the primary focus of this paper. Managers work in an environment where cities and their infrastructures are getting older and more expensive; economic and social disparities are increasing; and the cost of local services is rising faster than elected officials are willing to raise revenues (Miller, 2002). Municipal managers face these concerns on a daily basis, and they are the officials most likely to realize the inadequacy and ineffectiveness of acting alone when trying to solve problems that have metropolitan origins and effects. Solving these problems requires engaging in intergovernmental and inter-local activities in new and innovative ways. For that reason it is important that managers be prepared with a range of skills that facilitate regional solutions. To address this concern, we review the Model City Charter as well as training materials and guidelines from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) to determine whether the current emphases in local government management training prepare local managers to handle multijurisdictional or regional problems. Our conclusion is that there is a serious mismatch between the traditional skill set and what is now required for multijurisdictional problem solving.

The Dynamics of NASPAA Accreditation: A Challenge for Organizational Expansion?

For many years, graduate programs have sought to improve the standards within their departments. In many cases, national and regional organizations have been set up to regulate and ensure that these standards are met. In the case of graduate education in public affairs and administration, the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) is the regulatory body. This study uses NASPAA data and a mail survey to examine what factors determine whether institutional members of NASPAA are accredited. NASPAA grew rapidly in the 1970s and moved quite smoothly to a formal accreditation process during the 1980s.Yet the growth of institutional members has been fairly slow since 1980; and, at present, more than 40 percent of the institutional members are not accredited. Our data indicate that faculty size, institutional autonomy, and program emphasis all exert significant influences on the likelihood that a program is accredited.This suggests targets of opportunity for efforts to increase the accreditation rate of NASPAA’s institutional members.

The Doctorate in Public Administration: Some Unresolved Questions and Recommendations

Introduction The traditional view of doctoral education, borrowed from the social sciences, is the reproduction of the professoriate to ensure continued knowledge development through research and the dissemination of knowledge through teaching. In other words, the traditional purpose of doctoral education is the creation of a new generation of scholars who will pursue careers in academe. This is clearly not the reality of doctoral education in public administration as it has evolved. Consider the following facts based on more than ten years of research in the doctoral education field. 1. The vast majority of people obtaining the doctoral degree never publish anything that contributes to the knowledge base of the field. 2. Only a minority of doctoral graduates enters careers in academe. The majority of graduates appear to remain in professional positions. 3. The quality of dissertation research has been viewed as questionable by any standards of quantitative or qualitative research. 4. Many faculty positions are being filled by individuals trained in other fields. The Purpose of Doctoral Education in Public Administration What is the purpose of doctoral education in public administration? We can begin to answer this question by addressing the motives of students entering doctoral programs. Research suggests that only a handful of students are interested in traditional academic careers involving research, teaching, and service. On average, according to recent National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) surveys, at least 250 students graduate each year with a doctoral degree in public administration or public affairs. While there certainly are not that many open faculty positions in any given year, we note that many programs are hiring faculty from other disciplines (e.g., political science, economics, policy studies, social work, business, management, etc.). These hires are not from the 250+ average number of public administration graduates. This disparity in hiring also suggests that public administration programs are not producing enough graduates who are competitive and interested in the academic marketplace. This seems ironic in light of our suspicion that there is indeed a demand for doctoral graduates in public administration, as evidenced by regular multiple listings in the Public Administration Times and the Political Science Recruiter. Indeed, some institutions have had considerable difficulty hiring qualified new faculty members in certain core subfields. We believe that the majority of doctoral students in public administration are the degree for nontraditional purposes. We can speculate on five of those purposes: 1) to enhance one's professional practice in administrative or policy settings; 2) to inflate one's ego; 3) to gain a promotion or be retained in a position; 4) to enhance the likelihood of getting consulting grants or contracts; 5) because it may be advantageous to say, very loosely, that one is a candidate for or is pursuing the doctoral degree, even while lacking sufficient motivation to ever complete the degree. The first purpose is certainly justified, and we suspect that many of our colleagues would agree (see: Clayton, 1995; Sherwood, 1996; and Hambrick, 1997). The other four purposes are, in our opinion, simply not legitimate and waste scarce educational resources. Indeed, the 10:1 ratio of doctoral enrollees to graduates argues, somewhat disturbingly, for the fifth possibility. Public administration at the doctoral level can be both an academic and a professional degree. It has served the purposes of future academicians and continuing professionals for many years. There is a rationale for serving the interests of continuing professionals, and by providing them with knowledge and skills beyond the Master's level we add some value to the practice of public administration. …

Public Sector Information Technology Initiatives

On the 10th anniversary of the recommendations published by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) on information system instruction in schools and departments of public administration, sweeping information management reforms were instituted throughout the federal sector by the passage of the Clinger-Cohen Act (CCA) of 1996. This research examines the extent to which these programs prepare students for the issues they will face in managing information resources in government. Based on a survey of 106 schools and departments of public administration, few programs are covering the topics recently mandated by the CCA or recommended a decade ago by NASPAA. If governments are to achieve the benefits of contemporary technological advances, schools and departments of public administration must reexamine their current approach to instruction in information resource management.

Teaching Ethics and Values in Public Administration: Are We Making a Difference?

Moral education, Derek Bok (1990) reminds us, once occupied a central place in the intellectual life of students and professors. Strengthening or building the character of students was part and parcel of academe, at least until World War II. College presidents and professors believed that character building contributed to educated class committed to a principled life in the service of (Bok, 1990, 66). This view and practice, Bok contends, has been largely abandoned, having lost ground to logical positivists, the growth of big science, and the spectacular advances of technology. The secularization of society also took its toll on moral education in the halls of academe. In public administration, questions of morality and ethics became captives of the Wilsonian legacy of neutral competency, which found expression in the dominant operating philosophy of public managers to get the job done. Getting the job done right meant for all practical purposes doing what was right or ethical. Professionals in the pro-state tirelessly pursued the holy trilogy of efficiency, economy, and effectiveness (Stillman, 1991). In combination with a heavy dose of clientelism and paternalism, questions of morality and ethics were largely relegated to the sidelines in the teaching and practice of public administration, even though new public administration theorists made a determined effort to inject values into the life of the administrative state. Then came Watergate, the Iran-Contra affair, and the Wall Street-HUD-Capitol Hill scandals of the 1980s. The near impeachment and removal of a sitting president stirred the American soul and prompted renewed public interest in governmental ethics. Thus, in 1978 President Jimmy Carter signed into law the Ethics in Government Act, committing federal employees to standards of behavior believed to be in the best interests of the American public. Six years later, in 1984, the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) adopted an ethics code designed to raise the ethical standards and practices of its members. And in the late 1980s, the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) incorporated language into its curriculum standards that called for public administration programs to enhance the student's values, knowledge, and skills to act ethically and effectively. These laudable efforts -- federal legislation, ASPA's code of ethics, and NASPAA's new language -- were clear signals to the public and academe that ethical behavior is needed and expected of government officials. Moreover, the message sent to public administration graduate programs was unequivocal -- ethics education cannot and should not be relegated to the curriculum sidelines. Indeed, the evidence points to the fact that MPA programs have moved steadily over the past 25 years toward the incorporation of ethics instruction and courses in their curriculums. A 1995 survey of NASPAA-member schools found that about a dozen schools added ethics courses in the 1970s, with another ten schools added to the list in the early and mid-1980s (Menzel, forthcoming). The adoption curve increased sharply in the late 1980s and 1990s following NASPAA's change in the language of its accreditation standards. By the mid-1990s, 78 NASPAA-member, MPA-degree-granting schools offered an ethics course. Among these 78 schools, one of every four requires matriculating students to complete an ethics course (Menzel, forthcoming). The purpose of this article is to extend previous research in order to address what is probably the most important but least investigated question facing faculty and public administration programs that provide ethics instruction: Does ethics education make a difference? That is, does formal ethics instruction in graduate public affairs/administration (PA/A) schools help public service professionals resolve ethical dilemmas? Stated differently, does ethics pedagogy matter? …

NASPAA and Professionalism: Public Service or Guild Protectionism?

It is my view that NASPAA is best understood as one of the institutional articulations of the strategy of the public administration community to cloak themselves with the legitimacy of professionalism. Normatively, this strategy has both admirable other-regarding aspects and understandable but less admirable self serving ones. On the one hand, National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) founders and activists do really and with integrity believe, not without good reason, that their institution serves the public interest. On the other hand, like the American Medical Association, American Bar Association or the Business Roundtable (although with less effect) do for their membership, NASPAA protects and advances the particularistic aspirations of university-based professional trainers. Both aspects of professionalism lead to oppressively limiting groupthink and/or unethical gaming. Let me first sketch the urge to professionalism. Second, I will explore the dilemmas attendant thereto. Finally, the recent stampeding of programs to Total Quality Management (TQM) mission based accreditation will be assessed.

Public Affairs and Administration Education: An Overview and Look Ahead From the NASPAA Perspective

The October 1995 annual National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) conference celebrated 25 years of the organizations existence as a separate entity. Organized in 1970 at Princeton University, NASPAAs stated mission is to promote excellence in education for public service. In fact, a major purpose in establishing the Association was to define the field and the curriculum content for graduate education in public affairs and administration. What can be said about the role NASPAA has played in defining the academic field of study, and what future role can or should it play as the field confronts changing political, social, economic, and technological environments at the end of the 20th century?

Professional Certification in Public Management: A Status Report and Proposal

Certification of public managers is a logical, albeit controversial, byproduct of public administration's (PA) evolution toward professional state (Mosher, 1968; 99). Although it has not commanded nearly as much attention as other concerns relating to the professionalization of the field (e.g., the propagation and enforcement of ethical guidelines), certification is viewed by many as a necessary stage in PA's maturation into a recognized profession (Finkle, 1985; Swan, 1985). It has progressed in some of public management's subfields, such as in the budgeting area, but has not been widely discussed in regard to generalist administrators. Serious discussions of certification first occurred during the mid-1970s. Precipitating events included the creation of the Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program in the State of Georgia, followed closely by the spread of similar programs in New Jersey, Arizona, Florida, and other states. These initiatives were usually spurred by the involvement of reform-oriented governors whose agenda included the improvement of public services through enhanced employee performance (Henning and Wilson, 1982). Meanwhile, the advent of MPA program accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) prompted further interest in professional certification (Daniels and Johansen, 1985). Accreditation fostered the impression that the practice of public management could be boiled down into a generic core of knowledge; if so, this essence could be imparted through education and assessed through examination. Because these are preconditions of a certification process, accreditation's arrival stimulated predictions that some form of licensure or certification would soon become an accepted fact within the public management community (Jones, 1985). It has now been nearly two decades since the first CPM program was created, and one decade since the issuance of optimistic forecasts concerning the inevitability of professional certification (Finkle, 1985; Jones, 1985). This article provides a status report on generalist certification within public management, especially insofar as it relates to the efforts and activities of CPM programs. After an overview of the debate surrounding the certification question, the growth and development of CPM programs is chronicled. The success of these programs in attracting, retaining, and certifying public managers is summarized, and we provide suggestions on how the certification movement might be invigorated. Specifically, we suggest a means by which public management might he further professionalized through a marriage of CPM and MPA programs. Professionalization and Certification: Underlying Tensions Efforts to promote certification within public management are inseparable from the broader questions surrounding professionalization. An expert civil service is, on the one hand, regarded as an important asset that sets our government apart from those in less-advanced societies. This, coupled with out long-standing affection for technical proficiency, translates into an abiding belief in the inherent value of a professional orientation. Insofar as the civil service is concerned, however, professionalization has never been regarded as an unqualified virtue. The American political system has long wrestled with the most basic conundrum in managing a civil service within a democracy: how to strike a proper balance between the goals of expertise and accountability. To the extent that public employees adhere to a professional orientation, it is feared that they will be less accountable to the people and less responsive to their political superiors. In addition to this fundamental dichotomy, a diverse array of arguments has arisen both for and against the continued growth of a professional public service. On the negative side, professionalism is accused of encouraging an introverted perspective that serves the public poorly (what Waldo [1968] calls inward-facing selfishness). …

Do We Practice What We Preach? The Prevalence of Graduate Record Examination Predictive Validity Studies at Leading Master of Public Administration/Master of Public Policy Programs

This study presents findings from a survey of leading Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Master of Public Policy (MPP) programs who were asked to provide copies of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) validation studies. We planned to examine these papers to determine common themes that might contribute to developing a theory of valid entrance standards for MPA/MPP students. In spite of an 89 percent (31/35) response rate, only four schools had GRE validity research available. Three programs sent written reports dated 1985, 1990, and 1994, respectively. A fourth school conducted annual validity studies but did not issue a written document. Based on this paucity of validity studies, the present discussion proposes that the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) require all MPA schools to furnish GRE validation studies as a part of program accreditation. hope you have uncovered a good set of validation studies. I am our MPA director and it is obvious that we are making our admissions decisions in the midst of a fog of ignorance. (Survey Respondent)

Images and Reality in Local Government Personnel Practices: Investigating the "Quiet Crisis" among Illinois City Officials

In recent years, the public administration community and political leadership have expressed increasing concern that the conditions and status of public service are declining. It has been called a quiet crisis in American government (Levine and Kleeman, 1992). Beside the widely publicized Volcker Commission that focused on the federal civil service, especially at the senior executive level, several other commissions or task forces have also been created to examine the state of the public service more generally. A task force on Revitalizing the Public Service, created by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), issued its report in 1991, and the Commission on the State and Local Public Service is scheduled to issue its report in 1993. At the individual state level, mini-Volcker commissions have been set up in Illinois and Ohio. The Illinois Commission on the Future of the Public Service has already completed its work and issued three reports outlining specific reform proposals for the government of the state of Illinois, Cook County, and the City of Chicago (Illinois Commission on the Future of Public Service, 1992). Several other states have similar activities in studying Workforce 2000 issues as they affect their public service (Sherwood, 1992). These commissions and task forces raised several important issues such as politicization and patronage. The Volcker Commission expressed considerable concern about the increasing politicization of the higher civil service jobs in the federal government. Similar questions have been raised by both the Illinois commission and by the commission on American State and Local Public Service (Thompson, 1992).[1] Another major issue has been compensation. The salary and benefits of public employees, especially professional and administrative level employees, have not kept up with inflation and the private sector (Goodsell, 1985; National Commission on the Public Service, 1989). It is argued that this has already made it difficult for the public sector to attract the best and the brightest (Marzotto, 1991). Increasing managerial discretion and decentralization are seen as important issues in the debate about improving government performance, productivity, and accountability, and in combating bureaucratic rigidity. The traditional civil service system, characterized by detailed job descriptions and salary schedules, elaborate grievance and disciplinary procedures, and highly formalized, time-consuming recruitment processes, appears to leave public managers with very little discretion in managing their human resources (Ingraham and Rosenbloom, 1992). Public sector collective bargaining simply adds to the concern about the inability of public managers to manage. Some see the state of the merit system, at least in the federal government, as confused even beyond repair (Ingraham and Rosenbloom, 1992, p. 291). The Findings Perhaps one of the most enduring of concerns in the debate on the American public service has been about the role of political partisanship and patronage in our public service. This concern about patronage and partisanship has greatly diminished over the last half a century as far as the federal government is concerned. However, in recent years, some alarm has been raised about politicization of the senior levels of the federal civil service under the Reagan administration (National Commission on the Public Service, 1989). Concern about the influence of patronage and political partisanship on public service at the state and local level, especially the local level, has remained high despite great strides made in the professionalization of public service, including the widespread adoption of council-manager form of government. It is widely assumed that patronage is endemic in smaller cities, especially nonmanager cities (Sharp, 1990). However, that assumption does not seem to hold in Illinois according to our respondents. …

Enrollment Trends in Schools of Public Affairs and Administration: A Search for Winners and Losers

ity (1983-89). Using adjusted enrollment data, James Conant examines several often-mentionedfactors (type of university, public orprivate; geographic region; type ofprogram; enrollment size) and finds mixed results, with different patterns emergingfor different schools depending on the period and variable under consideration. The research does point to special problems for programs located in private universities, as well as more general concerns for the future that should be addressed by allpublic affairs and administration programs. The Directory (1990) of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) contains data on graduate (masters level) enrollments in public administration from academic year 1972-73 through 1988-89. A review of the data shows three distinct periods or trends in masters level enrollments over the past two decades: rapid growth between 1972-73 and 1978-79, sharp decline between 1978-79 and 198283, and relative stability between 1982-83 and 1988-89 (Table 1). The NASPAA data show that during the period of enrollment decline, graduate enrollments in member and nonmember schools of public affairs and administration plummeted 25 percent, from 28,191 to 21,138. The data also show that between 1982-83 and 1988-89 enrollments recovered somewhat, moving gradually upward from 21,138 to 23,416.