Lori A. Brainard

Virtual Government–Citizen Relations: Informational, Transactional, or Collaborative?

Public administration theory and practice suggest that e-government, citizen participation, and government–citizen collaboration are contributing to a movement toward New Public Service—as opposed to Old Public Administration and New Public Management. We explore this by focusing on the relationship between the Washington, D.C., police and local residents via online discussion groups. We ask, How do police interact with citizens virtually? How are these interactions structured? and Are they informational, transactional, or collaborative? Using descriptive data and thread analysis, and drawing distinctions between districts, we conclude that the bulk of activity is informational, a fair amount of activity is transactional, and less activity is collaborative. Thus, the relationship most closely approximates Old Public Administration, rather than New Public Management or New Public Service. The evidence offers some cause for hope for the future of police–community relations in virtual space and ideas for future research.

Citizen Organizing in Cyberspace Illustrations from Health Care and Implications for Public Administration

This article investigates two examples ofcitizen cyber-organizing in the context ofthe literatures on social capital and organizing. It asks, What can cyber-organizations teach us about the current state of social capital? What are the implications ofcyber -organizing for the context ofpublic administration? What implications do cyber-organizations hold for the role of the public administrator? The author concludes that the continuous communication ofparticipants in cyber-organizations, as well as their transitory and informal roles and rules, their social and emotional support, and their development of a shared understanding of the issues they face function as forms of social capital that facilitate civic engagement. Furthermore, cyber-organizations add to the fragmented and fluid social and political environment confronting public administration. Finally, to realize the potential power and significance of cyberorganizing, public administrators should begin to see such organizations through a lens that is different fromthe professional orientation to interest groups that has pervaded the field. Public administrators must reimagine themselves as agents of the social bond.

Top 10 U.S. Municipal Police Departments and Their Social Media Usage

Social media technologies present a new way for government agencies to connect with, and potentially collaborate with, their residents. Police departments (PDs) are a setting ripe for use of social media as an extension of their community policing efforts. In this article, we explore the use of social media by PDs in the top 10 most populous U.S. cities. We analyze police-initiated posts on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube over a 3-month period to determine what accounts PDs use, if they use social media for information transmission or interaction, and if they use the accounts for dialogue that might make collaboration possible. We find that while PDs have and use social media, and while citizens are responsive, there is much less interaction in part due to nonresponsiveness of PDs themselves. We thus conclude that though the existence of some PD-resident dialogue is promising, very little was collaborative.

CYBERSPACE CHALLENGES TO MAINSTREAM NONPROFIT HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS

Nonprofits are increasingly significant to public administration. The field also is confronting the Internet. In examining health-based nonprofits, the authors ask: How are traditional nonprofits and newer radical groups using the Internet? What is the relationship between these two types of groups? Traditional groups use the Internet for organizational maintenance whereas newer groups use it for the more “radical” pursuits of empowerment, advocacy, and the provision of solidary benefits. The authors identify three relationships between traditional groups and their newer, more radical counterparts: cooperation, competition, and specialization.

Lost in Cyberspace: Shedding Light on the Dark Matter of Grassroots Organizations

This article explores how information technology affects the forms and possibilities of voluntary efforts. Specifically, the authors examine the emergence of grassroots organizations in cyberspace. An analysis of two cyber-grassroots organizations (CGOs), Afghanistan Online and Rebuild-Afghanistan, highlights CGOs’ similarities, differences,and relative strengths and weaknesses compared to their traditional physical-space counterparts. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications for our understanding of grassroots organizations generally. Traditional characteristics such as size, scope, and the nature of communication need to be refined to better account for new forms of grassroots organizations.

Sovereignty under Siege, or a Circuitous Path for Strengthening the State? Digital Diasporas and Human Rights

Abstract Conventional wisdom holds that globalization, and its specific contributing factors such as immigration, information technology, and the emergence of universal values that inform international law, poses a challenge to state sovereignty. This article analyzes this assertion by examining one case, which encompasses each of these factors. Following a review of the literature, this article describes the efforts, using information and communication technologies, of the Egyptian Copt diaspora to advocate for human rights and improved quality of life of Copts residing in Egypt. We conclude that while the theory and practice of state sovereignty are certainly evolving and increasingly complex, the essence of state sovereignty is not necessarily challenged by these trends and may even be supported by them.

How to write a case study for public affairs

ABSTRACT A case study is a story narrative that places readers into the shoes of a protagonist so that they can gain the experience of addressing a particular problem or issue. When used effectively in the classroom, case studies can help students bridge the gap from theory to practice. Although public affairs incorporated the case approach in the earliest training programs, the field currently lacks the volume of case studies that are found in other professional disciplines. To encourage the development of more case studies in public affairs, this article provides guidance to authors on the fundamentals of a case study and how to write an effective case study.

The Challenges and Rewards of Service: Job Satisfaction among Public Affairs Program Directors

Abstract Most public affairs programs have some form of director, but we do not know the full scope of the program director’s role. This article thus asks, What tasks and duties does a program director perform? What aspects of the role are most satisfying to those performing it? What aspects of the role present challenges? Based on survey data, we conclude that female program directors are more likely to engage with advisory boards, while males are typically more satisfied in their role. Those currently in the position are less likely than former directors to work on financial aid. There also appear to be differences in how program size relates to the tasks and duties of the program director, to compensation, and to maintenance of a research agenda. Finally, we draw lessons for prospective program directors and for chairs and deans who have influence on how this role is structured.

Presidential Leadership, Interest Groups, and Domestic Policymaking Summitry: Balancing the Values of Efficiency and Representation

Abstract Policymaking models suggest a trade-off between the values of efficiency and representation. To the extent that the president represents a national constituency, and in light of the expansion of the office, presidential leadership potentially supplies a remedy to this dilemma. Nevertheless, each policymaking model suggests specific obstacles facing presidents who seek to take a leadership role in directly influencing policy. This article, which focuses on the case of policymaking for children’s television, suggests that the Clinton administration’s use of “domestic policy summits” can allow a president to influence policy while balancing the values of efficiency and representation.