Federalism – An American Tradition

“It is getting to be harder to run a constitution than to frame one” - Woodrow Wilson, 28th President When one hears about the bureaucracy conglomerate in the federal government, chances are they are referring to federalism. Federalism is the division of power among state governments and the national government. As the size of the...

The Evolution of Scientific Thought in Public Administration

Public Administration as a Science The study of Public Administration begs the question as to whether the field is a science, craft, or an art. It is a hotly debated topic through the study’s short history, but given the use of facts, sociology, and scientific endeavors, the study of Public Administration is a science -...

Texas and the Problem of ‘Muddling Through’

It is not on a whim that Charles Lindblom's famous essay The Science of Muddling Through is often mentioned in conversations involved with public administration decision making. Lindblom is a part of a beloved group of public administration writer, including Herbert Simon, and Chester Bernard, who advocate for more scientific decision-making. In Lindblom’s essay, he...

The Most Important Skill for a Leader

Choosing a “most important” skill for a leader is quite difficult seeing how there are so many types of leaders in various situations that warrant different skills. Overall, Intelligence would seem to be the most important. But the foundation of leadership skills seem to stem from the technical skills as described in Katz’s Three Skills...

Getting Down to Gas Tax

What congruent, regressive tax brings in billions of dollars every year dedicated to repairs and build new roads and infrastructure? That’s right, it’s time to get down to gas tax. The motor vehicle tax, or the gas tax, is an excise tax on gasoline and diesel fuels that charges motorists a tax, per gallon, to...

Balance Budget Amendment

The 1990’s was a great decade that we remember nostalgically is also remembered for its booming economy, job availability, and comparative peace in the world - so opposite of now. In fact, the United States government was thriving so much that it finally ran a budget surplus in 1998 through 2000 - this was the...

Personal Bias in Budgeting

In the cliche terms and phrases the public is exposed to during political campaigns, there is a heavy dose of truth, honesty, and credibility. Every time someone hits the campaign trail, the same robotic slogans are uttered. It is usually something that everyone can agree with absolutely - it is not a debate, an interview,...

HR Plays Moneyball

One does not have to research far to realize state and local agencies have been running into a budget problem since the 2008 recession - and although states are recovering, Texas faster than others,1 local governments are having to do much more with much less. The Virginia Department of Human Resource Management, for example, experienced...

Language Discrimination in the Workplace – A Conflict Resolution Case Study

The State of Texas is a highly successful and diverse state in comparison to the rest of the country. Texas is the 10th largest economy in the world and one of the strongest economies in the United States. The state’s economy is resilient and strong due to the diverse workforce which has allowed the state...