Marcia L. Godwin

The scholarly practitioner Connections of research and practice in the classroom

This article outlines how Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) programs from one university in the United States approach the integration of theory, research, and practice. The article reviews the historic missions of US public administration programs that focus on the development of public service professionals and specialized practitioners. Next, we share how the MPA program integrates theory and research with practice in the development of civic professionals. Examples from the MPA program are shown in a taxonomy with illustrative examples. This article also contrasts the MPA with the DPA program that follows a scholarly practitioner model. Rather than exclusively following a traditional theory-to-practice model, practice-to-theory and more experiential research projects are critical to the development of graduate public administration students working in complex environments. More student-centric and student-initiated approaches provide more opportunities for student engagement and also are aligned with emerging pedagogical models.

Civic Engagement and Fiscal Stress in American Cities Insights from the Great Recession

The Great Recession had a major effect on the provision of local public services. This article examines civic engagement before, during, and after the Great Recession using data from State of the Profession surveys sponsored by the International City/County Management Association. This study finds that cities increased their use of technology to inform citizens during the recession, but there were declines in the use of citizen surveys and strategic plans. The cities that were most impacted by the downturn had greater support for civic engagement activities in the aftermath of the Great Recession. The results indicate that fiscal stress impacts civic engagement in complex ways.

Iterative Learning: Programmatic Lessons from a Course Embedded Approach to Program Mission Assessment

Abstract In this paper, we refer to iterative learning as a developmental approach toward assessment—a course-embedded program mission assessment—used by University of La Verne Master of Public Administration (MPA) program faculty. Iterative learning draws upon an understanding that informed assessment is a developmental process that evolves through deliberation, refinement, and discussion. The paper places this approach within the ongoing efforts in a field that is developing program assessment and competencies. We present lessons learned from our multiyear effort, including challenges and future directions.

What Have We Learned from the 2016 Elections

This concluding chapter revisits themes from the 2016 congressional elections and previews the 115th Congress (2017–2018). The Trump presidential campaign dominated campaign dynamics and Republicans varied in their support of his candidacy. Ironically, Republicans held onto majorities in the House and Senate by the very factors that Trump railed against: national party organizations and institutional features that favor incumbents. Democrats gained solace from their capture of a few seats and initial negative public sentiment toward the Trump administration. The differing stances Republicans made on the Trump campaign also made it difficult to point toward an electoral mandate. Issues related to healthcare, tax cuts, defense spending, the size of the federal government, and Russian attempts to interfere with U.S. elections are expected to be on the legislative agenda.

California 49th Congressional District: A Near Upset in the Golden State

California’s 49th Congressional District in Southern California had been reliably Republican until the 2016 election. Long-time incumbent Darrell Issa was reelected by just 1,621 votes in the closest House race in the country. Democrat Doug Applegate took advantage of partisan changes and the support of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to outspend Issa. Issa faced a constituency that was more anti-Trump than most other vulnerable House Republican incumbents. Issa was hurt by his record investigating the Obama administration, endorsement of Trump, and Trump’s tweet supporting his candidacy. Issa espoused more moderate views and reached out to constituents in the aftermath of the close election. Issa’s district and others in California that have been trending Democratic will be ones to watch in upcoming elections.

California Senate Race: The Anointing of Kamala Harris

Californians had an open seat for the first time in a generation with the retirement of Barbara Boxer. The 1992 Senate victories of Dianne Feinstein and Boxer anchored the Democratic Party’s dominance in the following decades. By 2016 there was a deep bench of possible contenders for Senate, but only Representative Loretta Sanchez mounted a challenge to Attorney General Kamala Harris. The race highlighted California’s diverse, multiethnic population and was the first California Senate race in which Republicans were shut out of the general election. Harris had a near monopoly on endorsements, interest group support, and fundraising while Sanchez struggled to be viewed as a viable candidate. Harris’ overwhelming victory and forceful opposition to the Trump administration cemented her image as a rising political star.

Emotional Labor Beyond the Frontlines: Work Settings, Interactions, and Coping Strategies

Emotional labor theories and studies have focused on identifying the nature of emotion work and related consequences in frontline or crisis response. We extend theory development by considering that work settings and responsibilities are often multidimensional in practice within a single profession. We expand the definition of emotional labor to include different degrees of interaction, not just direct personal or voice-to-voice contact. We consider how work settings and interactions may be incorporated into emotional labor theoretical frameworks. We then develop a case study of child protective services to examine how emotional labor beyond the frontlines may affect levels of emotion work, false face acting, and burnout. Degrees of interactions and work settings vary within the child protective services profession and are associated in different ways with false face acting and burnout. Additional research is recommended to operationalize and test differences in emotional labor within public service professions. Additional research is also needed on coping strategies, including status shields.