published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

A literature review has carried out in this thesis in order to find arguments in support of the notion that the public sector cannot effectively act alone in the execution of public policy. This is essentially a reaction to the idea expressed by Pressman and Wildavsky (1973) that implementation of policy can only be managed effectively and efficiently when carried out by a central organization. They claim that decentralisation to non-governmental actors could increase the number and diversity of actors and thus delay processes by complicating them. The thesis proposed in this project is that policy implementation as well as its management involves a wide array of interdependent actors who come to join policy networks to promote their interests. The literature reviewed shows that implementation can only be effectively carried out through the management of processes based on network approaches. Public-civic social capital is seen in the project to carry the potential for increasing the sustainability of policy management forms. This can be achieved it is argued by deliberately creating environments that will seek to enable the formation and use of social capital. It is argued further that the creation of public-civic social capital for purposes of development can serve to combine both formal and informal means of accountability and thereby produce systems that are flexible enough to deal with complex issues, numerous and diverse actors and to deal with the ever changing needs of society. Public-civic cooperation is seen as promising to circumvent the problems of collective action by building an environment of trust, reciprocity, mutual respect and an adherence to democratic principles in the management of public policy. / Thesis (M.Soc.Stud.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the relative influence of state and societal actors on public policy and, specifically, to determine the potential for state autonomy in Canada. To advance this project, two 'paradigms' of state-society relations are developed from an analysis of a range of contending theories of state-society relations. These include Eric Nordlinger's state autonomy theory, elitism, pluralism, and Marxism. The paradigms are then applied to a case study of the design and implementation of the petroleum related elements of the National Energy Program. We conclude that the Canadian state can demonstrate a significant degree of autonomy from societal influence using various strategies and resources which are generally unavailable to societal actors. The specific findings of our case study are that in the development and implementation of the NEP the greatest impediments on the federal government's autonomy arose, not from business interests or public pressure, but from the opposition of other state actors and the impact of market forces and international economic conditions.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on September 3, 2008) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Michigan, 1983. / A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Urban, Technological and Environmental Planning : Urban and Regional Planning) in the University of Michigan, 1983. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-209).

Thesis (M.A.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Political Science, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Admin.(Public Administration))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1985. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 287-311).

This study investigates the role of public policy and the implementation of public policy with particular reference to public health policy in South Africa from 1910 to 1990. The focus and locus of the public policy phenomenon within the political and administrative processes are also analysed. It is shown that the supposition that public policy is only part of the political process, is incorrect. The public policy phenomenon is subsequently analysed. It is shown that the various levels of public policy impact upon the administrative process and that the policy implementation process is part of the public policy process. In an analysis of the nature and scope of the public policy implementation process, it is argued that public policy implementation, as such, had been an underrated part of the policy process in South Africa up to the 1970's. It is also shown that internal and external variables impact upon the implementation of public policy, namely the generic administrative functions (as internal variables) and certain normative guidelines (as external variables). The external variables that impact upon public policy implementation, namely legislative direction, public accountability, democratic requirements, reasonableness, and efficiency are analyzed. The external variables are used to establish their relevance, or not, to the implementation of public health policy in South Africa from 1910 to 1990. It was found that the external variables figured poorly in the implementation of health policy in the sense that the external variables were brought to bear in an ad-hoc fashion based on crises as it arose, in other words, not on pre-planned actions. / In hierdie studie word ondersoek gedoen na die rol van openbare beleid en die implementering van openbare beleid met spesifieke verwysing na openbare gesondheidsbeleid in Suid-Afrika vanaf 1910 tot 1990. Die fokus en lokus van die openbare beleidverskynsel binne die politieke en administratiewe prosesse word ontleed. Daar word op gewys dat die veronderstelling dat openbare beleid slegs deel van die politieke proses is, verkeerd is. Daar word ook op gewys dat die verskillende vlakke van openbare beleid die administratiewe proses bei'nvloed en dat die openbare beleidimplementeringproses deel van die openbare beleidsproses is. In 'n ondersoek na die aard en omvang van die openbare beleidimplementeringproses word daarop gewys dat openbare beleidimplementering 'n onderskatte deel van die beleidproses in Suid-Afrika tot en met die 1970's was. Daar word op gewys dat interne en eksterne veranderlikes 'n invloed uitoefen op openbare beleidimplementering, te wete, die generiese administratiewe funksies (as interne veranderlikes) en bepaalde normatiewe riglyne (as eksterne veranderlikes). Die eksterne veranderlikes vir openbare beleidimplementering, te wete, wetgewende rigtinggewing, openbare aanspreeklikheid, demokratiese vereistes, regverdigheid, en doeltreffendheid is vervolgens ontleed. Die eksterne veranderlikes word gebruik om hul toepaslikheid, al dan nie, by die implementering van openbare gesondheidsbeleid in Suid-Afrika vanaf 1910 tot 1990 te toets. Daar is bevind dat die eksterne veranderlikes swak, indien ooit, by die implementering van gesondheidsbeleid ter sprake was. Die rede daarvoor is dat die eksterne veranderlikes op 'n ad-hoc wyse ter sprake gebring is omda:t die implementering van openbare gesondheidsbeleid toegepas is op die basis van krisisse soos dit ontstaan het en nie op beplande optredes nie. / D. Litt. et Phil. (Public Administration) / Public Administration and Management

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