James A. Stever

Technology Organization, Freedom: The Organizational Theory of John Dewey

John Deweys pragmatic philosophy merits consideration from an administrative point of view. Within this philosophy is a compelling organization theory. The theory is based on the argument that modern organizations are essential for the regulation of technology and the reform of traditional liberal culture. Dewey believed that a pragmatic organizational culture could promote and protect freedom better than the 19th-century community based on individualistic values. Postmodernists have failed to fully confront Deweys argument for organizational authority. He relied on the organization to regulate technology, to insure modernisms longevity, and to recast liberal cultures traditional values.

The Glass Firewall between Military and Civil Administration

There is a glass-like firewall between American military administration and civil administration forged during the Progressive era. Turn-of-the-century public administration theory was quite ecumenical. However, under the spell of Progressive state theory, post-war public administration theory assumed that civil administrators could ignore military matters. The separation of military and civil administration is now beginning to adversely affect the American people. The Department of Defense conceived a Total Force Doctrine that was neither substantially discussed with nor understood by civilian administrators. When this doctrine was applied by the Department of Defense in Operation Desert Storm, predictable negative civilian consequences occurred. The glass firewall must go. Progressive state theory and administrative state theory were wrong in assuming that these tensions would vanish as the state modernized. Public administration must address this scission. In doing so, public administration can recover its ecumenical root and the relevance of the field.

The Parallel Universes Pragmatism and Public Administration

The new scholarship on pragmatism and public administration bears properties reminis cent of speculative philosophy. It proposes that pragmatism and public administration have historically existed in parallel universes. The articles written by Keith F. Snider and Karen G. Evans outline how pragmatism and public administration developed along parallel courses with minimal interchange between these two bodies of thought. However, they differ on whether these two bodies of thought should be fused. Evans argues for an immediate merger whereas Snider is more cautious. The issue of fusion is a serious issue for the field and deserves careful consideration.

The Dual Image of the Administrator in Progressive Administrative Theory

This article analyzes how Progressive-era theorists thought systematically about how to make administrators legitimate actors within liberal society and government. Organic idealism and pragmatism were the philosophical foundations on which Progressive legitimacy theory rested. The former stressed respect for tradition: the latter emphasized analysis and science as means to legitimacy. Post-Progressive legitimacy theories resemble the Progressives, although some corrections and advances have been made. The major correction to post-Progressive legitimacy theory is renewed attention to the constitutional constraints that surround administrative behavior. The article suggests that, in the face of contemporary challenges, either pragmatism or tradition-based constitutional theory will be the likely foundation for administrators as they attempt to reflect on and enhance their own legitimacy.

Attitudes of Reserve Component Servicemembers regarding the Consequences of Frequent Overseas Deployments

The U.S. Department of Defense has announced that it will use Reserve component units more frequently for overseas deployments, for humanitarian and peacekeeping missions. Approximately one thousand Reserve component veterans, most from Ohio, were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the effects of increased overseas deployment requirements for Reserve servicemembers. Approximately half of those surveyed reported that the new requirements would pose substantial difficulties for civilian employment and family life, with reduced intentions to remain in the military or to stay long enough to retire from the military. Difficulties seemed to be more severe for family life than for civilian employment. Persian Gulf War veterans were more pessimistic about the effects of the new requirements on family life and recruiting; however, those who had remained in the military were less pessimistic about the effects of increased deployments.

Adapting Intergovernmental Management to the New Age of Terrorism

Twentieth century progressivism produced intergovernmental models that do not work in this era of terrorism. Their shortcomings surfaced during the Gulf War, with efforts to involve the National Guard in disaster relief, and are now quite apparent. Four assumptions should guide the adaptation of existing intergovernmental models: (a) recognizing the new linkage between intergovernmental relations and the military; (b) mastering new proactive methods rather than waiting on the slow processes of incremental reform; (c) accepting new values (timeliness, flexibility, and containment of the deadly consequences of terrorism) to constrain 21st century intergovernmental relations; and (d) rebuilding the shattered intergovernmental context.

Contemporary Neighborhood Theories Integration versus Romance and Reaction

Theories of neighborhood government can be divided into three categories. Integrative theories grant neighborhoods a significant role in the metropolitan political process. Romantic theories outline nonattainable goals for the neighborhood. Reactive theories juxtapose neighborhood against metropolis by assuming that the neighborhood can be an instrument of social change. This article endorses integrative theories and criticizes theories which are romantic and reactive. The urban reform movement stimulated the development of romantic and reactive theories by attempting to suppress neighborhood politics. Mary Parker Follett suggests a viable way to integrate neighborhood and metropolis which deserves reconsideration.

Nature and administration

Marshall Dimocks considerable intellectual contribution rested on naturalistic foundations. The character of these foundations can be illustrated by considering his personal commitment to living in harmony with nature and his affinity for naturalistic philosophy. This foundation led him to challenge dominant organizational theory and conventional professional norms. His later scholarship emphasized naturalistic principles as a corrective for the crisis of the American state. This scholarship outlined a minimal administrative state that relied on the virtues and creativity of the citizenry and counseled against the heavy-handed administrative professionalism inherent in a service state.

A Security Preface to 21st-Century Public Administration

The use of lethal technologies by global terror networks has elevated domestic security policy to a central concern of 21st-century public administration. Twentieth-century public administration scholars, influenced by Progressivism, Pluralism, and Public Choice, led the field to believe that it could both develop and administer domestic security policy without a coherent state theory to guide this policy. This scission between security policy and state theory must be repaired. The relevance of the field to pressing 21st-century security questions as well as the security of the public depends on renewing this linkage.

Predicting self-reported exposure to nerve agents by reserve component personnel during the first Persian Gulf War.

Approximately 13% of 654 Reserve Component Gulf War veterans (18% women, 65% ground forces, between 24 and 61 years of age, average 40.2 yr.) surveyed in the Ohio Desert Storm Research Project reported that they had probably been exposed to nerve or mustard gas agents, while another 32% thought such exposures were possible. Reports of exposure were found, through ordinary least squares regression analysis, to be associated with membership in ground forces (Army/Marine Corps) (b = .29), geographical location (b = .17), ethnic minority status (b = .07), education (b = –.10), intrinsic religiosity (b = .10), and also reporting having had physiological reactions to vaccines or pyridostigmine bromide pills (b = .24). Reports were not associated significantly with subjective health before the war, age, or sex.