• Shafritz et al.: Chapter 6 (ISBN 978-1-285-87027-4)
• Rainey: Chapters 5 and 7 (ISBN 978-1-118-58371-5)
You will select a public organization and write a paper that analyzes two organizational issues in
the selected organization. Since you will need to have “insider” knowledge about the
organization, you’ll want to select an organization that you for which you currently or previously
worked or one for which you have volunteered or otherwise participated in. If neither applies,
you’ll want to choose an organization whose organization information is easily accessible on
their website and/or one that has received media and/or congressional attention regarding its
organizational problems. While not always the case, these types of organizations will be federal
agencies or nationally recognized nonprofits.
The analysis will include the following:
• A description and analysis of the structure of your organization (1-2 pp)
• HINT: Make sure you’re evaluating your organization according to literature in
the textbooks on organizational structure.
• Two (2) vignettes” (2-3 pp each), discussing a specific organizational issue or concern in
the context of the organization. Each vignette should draw on the readings from at least
two modules.There should be a fairly even application of references from both assigned
books.
• A concluding assessment of your organization (2-3 pp). Looking back over your
structural analysis and two vignettes and drawing generally on what you have learned in
this course, how would you assess your organization? Are there any recommendations
you can make?
• Describe how external actors and power influence power and politics in public
organizations (LO 1)
• Summarize policy process theories (LO 1)
• Explain how power is created, sustained, and concentrated in public organizations (LO 1)
• Compare decision making processes (LO 1)
• Identify prominent theorists and summarize major themes found in power and politics
organization theory (LO 1)
LENGTH: 10-12 page paper (double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch
margins, and APSA style)(excluding title and Works Cited pages)
****MUST include in text citations, not footnotes. Original authors must be cited with reference
to the book the content is located. All bullet points must be addressed for full credit.