The policies of civil service reform: Legislative versus administrative response in policy making.

摘要

John Kingdon's policy window model is applied to four civil service periods. The application indicates the model functions well in the administrative management subject matter area. However, the research provides some model correction. It suggests that focusing events and softening up activities are more important than anticipated with dramatic focusing events and tangible softening up actions being necessary for legislative but not administrative change.; The dissertation also extends Kingdon's original research to the third stage (i.e., authoritative decision) of his four stage model (i.e., agenda setting, alternative setting, authoritative choice, and implementation). This extension involves the development and analysis of criteria which might function differently in the legislative and administrative environments. The research indicates that if the situation requires a durable result and involves job allocation issues, a dramatic focusing event, an external constituency, sufficient time to negotiate with the various constituencies, and benefit to the Congress, the authoritative choice will be legislation. Conversely, if the situation does not require a durable result but involves efficiency issues, an undramatic focusing event, an internal constituency, a short time-frame, and benefit solely to the president, the authoritative choice will be administrative action. The decision outcome was also analyzed to determine differences based on legislative or administrative environment. Four outcomes were found to vary based on environment: Policy Effectiveness, Unintended Problematic Outcomes, Outcome Durability, and Change as Softening Up Agent.; Finally, this research offers a casement policy window theory to further explain the model with respect to the authoritative choice stage. Specifically, this theory suggests that based on the pressure which builds as Kingdon's three streams (i.e., politics, problems and policies) move together, one pane of the administrative/legislative casement window opens. When that pane opens and releases the pent up pressure, neither the administrative or legislative pane will again open on this policy issue until the pressure rebuilds through a new cycle of the entire Kingdon process.