Harold Seidman

Public Enterprise Autonomy : Need for a New Theory

The past thirty years have witnessed a phenomenal growth in the number of public institutions at what Ira Sharkansky calls the &dquo; margins of the state &dquo; (1). To perform the varied and complex tasks of modem government, developed and developing nations have believed it necessary to vest responsibility for the performance of significant public functions in &dquo; quasi-govemment &dquo;, &dquo; quasi-nongovemment &dquo;, and other types of autonomous agencies outside the traditional government framework.

The Government Corporation: Organization and Controls

T HE great increase in the number of stateowned-and-operated business enterprises during the last decade has confronted almost every nation with a basic dilemma: how can the operating and financial flexibility required for the successful conduct of a business enterprise be reconciled with the need for controls to assure public accountability and consistency in public policy? Attempts to resolve this dilemma have taken many different forms and met with varying degrees of success. Even within any single country there are substantial differences among the various enterprises in organizational and legal status, operational authority, and financial independence. The differences between countries are even more striking, since each nation must necessarily seek an organizational solution compatible with its constitutional system, political traditions, governmental structure, and economy. While no standard organizational plan for public enterprises has emerged, nonetheless certain general trends are now discernible throughout the world.

Politics, Position, and Power: The Dynamics of Federal Organization.

The fifth edition of this classic work identifies and analyses the implications of the shift toward administration of federal programs by third parties such as state and local governments, non-profit corporations, and private institutions. Seidman demonstrates how control of regulations, rather than structure, has become the centre of the struggle for position and power. Through this portrayal, Seidman shows how the courts have become primary actors in the administration process. Completely updated and revised to cover the Bush and Clinton administrations, this new edition is essential for understanding the changing nature of government and public administration today.

City hall looks to the colleges

After five years trial New York Citys unique experiment in public service training has more than justified efforts on the part of students, college faculties, city offficials.