Description
Discussion: Leadership in Public Policy
Effective leadership is essential to successful democratic governance. Different leaders have different styles. Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. preached passive resistance, whereas Dwight Eisenhower commanded one of the greatest military forces ever assembled. Nelson Mandela preached forgiveness. All of these men shared a love of peace and accomplished great deeds. Strong leaders also may have a great impact on public policy formulation and implementation. Leaders may influence what policies are enacted and how they are implemented. Thus, leadership is a significant tool of democracy. As you approach this Discussion on leadership, think about leaders whom you admire and the great public policy successes they achieved. Reflect on the leadership styles they used to accomplish their goals, bearing in mind that there are many different ways to be an effective leader when it comes to influencing public policy.
To prepare for this Discussion:
- Select two articles or book excerpts from this week’s Learning Resources. Take note of broad themes about leadership and public policy in the readings that you choose.
- Peruse periodicals, the Internet, and other resources for examples of leaders who you think have been effective in implementing public policy.
- Think about leadership styles that may be effective in implementing public policy.
- Recall monumental leadership figures, such as Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr., and consider what made them effective leaders.
- Consider the influence political leaders might have in the public policy arena.
- Select two leaders, at least one of which from your country, who are or have been effective in implementing public policy and think about similarities and differences in terms of their effectiveness in implementing public policy.
- Consider the importance of leadership as a tool for implementing public policy.
With these thoughts
This is the question
Post a brief description of each of the leaders you selected. Then, explain similarities and differences among them in terms of their effectiveness in implementing public policy. Finally, based on your comparison, analyze how various leadership styles enable the development and implementation of public policy.
Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources.
Read a selection
lair, R. (2001). Managing urban growth: Can the policy tools approach improve effectiveness? Public Works Management and Policy, 6(2), 102–113.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Boin, A., & Christensen, T. (2008). The development of public institutions: Reconsidering the role of leadership. Administration and Society, 40(3), 271–297.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Sandfort, J., Selden, S. C., & Sowa, J. E. (2008). Do government tools influence organizational performance? Examining their implementation in early childhood education. The American Review of Public Administration, 38(4), 412–438.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Schneider, A., & Ingram, H. (1990). Behavioral assumptions of policy tools. Journal of Politics, 52(2), 510–529.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Haberman, F. W. (Ed). (1972). Martin Luther King Jr.: Biography. In Nobel lectures. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Retrieved June 2, 2014, from http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laure…
The Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies. (2003). Policy tools and government performance. Retrieved from http://ccss.jhu.edu/publications-findings?did=242
May, P. (n.d.). Social regulation workbook. Retrieved from http://ccss.jhu.edu/publications-findings?did=61
The White House. (n.d.a). Abraham Lincoln. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/abraham…
The White House. (n.d.b). Franklin D. Roosevelt. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/frankli…
The White House. (n.d.c). George Washington. Retrieved https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/georgew…
Document: Case Study: The Winds of Change (PDF)
Required Media
Laureate Education (Producer). (2014g). Tools of democracy [Audio file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
In this media piece, a subject-matter expert discusses what leadership looks like in public policy and considers effective leadership principles and practices in public policy.
Optional Resources
Prewitt, K. (1965). Political socialization and leadership selection. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 361(1), 96–105.
The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science by Prewitt, K., in the ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 361(1). Copyright 1965 by Sage Publications Inc. Journals. Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Inc. Journals via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Wiatr, J. J. (1988). Introduction: Political leadership from a comparative perspective. International Political Science Review, 9(2), 91–94.
Introduction: Political leadership from a comparative perspective by Wiatr, J. J., in Internat
of your colleagues’ postings.
Background
Many scholars view the 1962 publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring as the
beginning of the environmental movement. Concerns over air quality, safe
drinking water, climate change, and scores of other issues related to
environmental health and safety have been constant issues on the public agenda
for many years. The public policy solution for some of these problems comes in
the form of federal regulatory measures. Fines and sanctions often are used to
punish those who do not comply with the regulations. Environmental regulations
often come under heavy criticism. Early criticisms of environmental regulations
frequently came from the political right in the form of free market advocates who
viewed regulation as an illegitimate intrusion of government into the economy. In
more recent times, various segments of the political spectrum have shown
interest in using non-regulatory means for improving environmental quality.
Situation
Senator George T. McClure served on the U.S. Senate Committee on
Environment and Public Works since its inception in 1977. For more than twenty
years, Senator McClure also served as chair of the committee when his party
controlled the Senate and as the ranking minority member when his party was
not in control. Senator McClure retired from the Senate in 2008. His longtime
friend and political ally James J. Envigood assumed the chairmanship of the
committee upon McClure’s retirement.
Senator McClure was a skillful legislator who knew the ways of the Senate and
was very adept at stopping legislation and moving it forward. Bills coming out of
McClure’s committee usually were passed by the Senate with few amendments.
Although McClure was a skillful legislator, he was not always the most
knowledgeable person in terms of public policy. McClure depended on Envigood
to be his policy expert on the committee. McClure was fond of saying that an
environmental matter that Envigood did not know about was not worth knowing.
One of Envigood’s first actions as chair was to ask John Bury, the committee’s
chief of staff, to provide him with a document outlining several nonregulatory
ways to implement environmental protection policy. Bury was a holdover from the
McClure regime and did not get along with Envigood. Bury thought that Envigood
was a know-it-all and, unlike his old boss, naive in the ways of the Senate. Bury
also thought that because of his strong relationship with McClure, Envigood
would never fire him. Bury dismissed McClure’s assignment because he did not
think it was worth his time or effort. After a few heated exchanges with Envigood,
Bury resigned his position and formed his own consulting firm. Word of Bury’s
problems with Senator Envigood spread throughout Washington and it was
difficult for him to attract clients to his firm. Several times Bury was heard saying
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that he wished he had his old job back. Bury finally contacted George McClure
and asked him to speak with Senator Envigood on his behalf.
McClure was able to convince Envigood to rehire Bury. Bury was hired as a
senior staff member but not as chief of staff. His first assignment was to write a
document outlining several non-regulatory ways to implement environmental
protection legislation. This time around, Bury was determined to do an excellent
job and prove his worth to Envigood.
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