Paradigms of Government

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Paradigms of Government
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What is a Government?

• The image of the leaders?
• The collective image of the Citizens of the
  country?
• A collection of institutions?

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What is the Paradigm of the Paradigm of a
Government?

• Business Organizations
• Appropriate?
• Assumptions
• Homo economis
• What is the Rational Actor Model?
• What is Comprehensive Rationality?

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Simons answer

• Comprehensive Rationality is not possible because
  the problems are too large. Therefore
• Make the problem smaller
• Satisfice
• Search for the first acceptable alternative
• Avoid uncertainty
• Develop repertoires of action programs

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Allisons answer

• 3 factors in organizations
• Goals, Expectations and Choice
• His paradigm for institutional response
• Quasi resolution of conflict
• Uncertainty avoidance
• Problemistic Search (first alternative that meets
  the goals)
• Organizational learning

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Returning to the top

• What is the product of Government? / What is the
  organizational objective of Government?
• Action (or inaction)
• Who / What are the actors?
• Institutions ? / Individuals
• How do they act?
• Standard Operating Practices (SOP)
• ROUTINES
• What is the most difficult thing to do in
  Government?
• Change the routine / SOP

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The Simple Paradigm

• Structural Functional Analysis
• Developed in the 50s and early 60s and out of
  favor by the late 60s
• BUT
• Answers the question. If this is what the
  organizations mandate / goal / objective is
  (function), is the institutional structure
  capable of accomplishing these goals?

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Innovation (Wilson)

• What makes for innovative institutions?
• Diversity in the organization innovation
• Small organizations innovation
• Big organizations
• innovation and proposals
• acceptance of innovation

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Lee, Ball and Tabors on Energy Policy

• Technology, not resource depletion, is the
  driving force for substitution
• The consequences of poor strategies can be
  enormous and unpredictable
• Most forecasts are wrong, therefore robustness is
  a critical planning requirement
• The task of analysts is to lay out the options,
  not to tell the decision makers what to do
• Measure the right thing

• Do not confuse the systems approach with systems
  analysis
• Understand technologies and manage them
  accordingly
• Quality pays and cleaner is cheaper
• Dont overemphasize science and de-emphasize
  engineering
• Government Sponsored RD projects in areas where
  the government is not the user of the results are
  usually ineffective