The Case Against Bureaucratic Discretion (eBook)

Steven G. Koven is Professor of Urban and Public Affairs at the University of Louisville, USA. He is author or co-author of ten books and many journal articles. 

Table of Contents

The Case Against Bureaucratic Discretion

Part I Theory

 

Chapter 1

Theoretical Grounding of Bureaucratic Ethics

A.    Introduction

B.     Growth of Administrative State in the U.S.

1.   Pre-New Deal Growth

2.   New Deal and Post-New Deal Growth

3.   Explanations for Growth of Government

C.        General Ethos of Bureaucracies

1.      Prescribed Legal Behavior of Bureaucrats

2.      Sense of Responsibility of “Ideal” Bureaucrat

D.       Classical Theory of Administrators in Bureaucracies

1.      Woodrow Wilson

2.      Max Weber

3.      Frederick Winslow Taylor

4.      Henri Fayol

5.      Luther Gulick

6.      Contributions of Classical Scholars to Understanding Discretion

E.        Potential Abuses of Bureaucrats – Danger of Discretion

1.      Passive and Hidden Resistance

2.      Active Resistance

3.      Utility of Responsible Discretion

F.      Plan of Book

 

Chapter 2

Theoretical Grounding of Democratic Accountability

A.          Introduction

B.           General Ethos of Democracy

1.   Classical Greek Perspectives

a.       Plato,

b.      Aristotle

2.   Early European Perspectives –

a.    Thomas Hobbes

b.      John Locke

c.       Jean-Jacques Rousseau

d.      Charles Montesquieu

C.           Modern Democratic Theorists

1.   A.D. Lindsay

2.   Dennis Thompson

3.   Robert Dahl

4.   Carole Pateman

D.          Alternative Perspectives of Democracy – Elite Democratic Theory

1.   Walter Lippmann

2.   Joseph Schumpeter

3.   William Domhoff

4.   Robert Putnam

E.     Conclusions

 

Chapter 3

Checks on Bureaucracy, Organizational Accountability and Organizational Culture

A.    Introduction

B.     Inner Checks on Bureaucrats

1.      Technical Knowledge

2.      Responsiveness to Popular Opinion

C.     Outer Check on Bureaucrats

1.    President

2.      Congress

3.      Courts

4.      Media

D.    Organizational Accountability-Missions and Public Interest

1.      Missions

2.      Public Interest

E.        Organizational Cultures and Missions

1.      Herbert Kaufman

2.      Charles Goodsell

3.      James Q. Wilson

F.      Controlling Bureaucracies

1.      Judith Gruber

2.      Kenneth Meier and Lawrence O’Toole  

G.    Conclusions

 

Part II Application

 

Chapter 4

Discretion and Local Policy – Local Law Enforcement

A.    Introduction

B.     History of Police Abuse

1.      Pre-1960s Abuse

2.      Post-1960s Abuse

a.    Civil Rights Protests

b.   Police Provocation and Urban Riots

c.    Police and Anti-War Demonstrators

d.   Specific High Profile Cases of Police Abuse

C.     Contemporary Police Controversies

1.      Sanford, Florida

2.      Ferguson, Missouri

3.      Chicago 

4.      Cincinnati

D.    Contemporary Police Controversies

1.      Baltimore

2.      New York City

3.      North Charleston, South Carolina

E.     Possible Checks on Local Police Discretion

1.      Organizational Reforms

2.      Whistleblowing – Case of Frank Serpico

F.      Conclusions

 

Chapter 5

Discretion and National Policy –National Law Enforcement and Veterans Affairs Abuses

A.    Introduction

B.     History of F.B.I

1.      Genesis

2.      Early Successes

C.     Controversies - J. Edgar Hoover

1.      Red Scare and Early Image of the FBI

2.      Later Abuses of the FBI

D.    Controversies –Mark Felt and James Comey

1.      Mark Felt

2.      James Comey

E.     Jurisdictional Controversies

1.      ICE

2.      Sanctuary Cities

F.      Possible Checks on Agency Abuses - Whistleblowing

1.      Sam Foote, the Doctor who Launched the VA Scandal 

2.      Additional VA Whistleblower

G.    Conclusions

 

Chapter 6

Discretion and Foreign Policy

A.    Introduction

B.     History of C.I.A. and N.S.A

1.      Creation of the CIA

2.      Early Successes and Evolution

3.      Creation of the NSA

4.      Early Successes and Evolution

C.     Foreign Policy Controversies

1.      Vietnam Body Counts

2.      Abu Ghraib Prisoner Interrogation

3.      Iran-Contra Funding

4.      Black Budget Operations

5.      Secret Surveillance NSA/Snowden

D.    Possible Checks on Foreign Policy

1.      Media and Public Opinion

2.      Whistleblowing at Abu Ghraib Prison – Sergeant Joseph Darby and Specialist Ron Ridenhour

E.     Conclusions

 

 

Part III Conclusions

 

Chapter 7

Conclusions

A.    Introduction

B.     Accountability Problem of Bureaucrats as Policy Makers

C.     Proposals to Foster Democratic Accountability

1.      Stronger Whistleblower Protections

2.      Better Organizational Oversight

3.      Responsible Media Attention

4.      Legislative Oversight

D.    Finding a Balance between Responsiveness and Arbitrary License 

1.      Peril to Democracy of Unresponsive Bureaucratic Systems

2.      Control of Bureaucracy through Public Awareness (Communication), Agency Transparency (Truthfulness), and Responsiveness (Elections)

E.     Conclusions