32 research outputs found
Book Review: Smart risks: How small grants are helping to solve some of the world’s biggest problems
PRESENTATION. SPECIAL ISSUE. Co-responsibility in building the public good in Latin America and the Caribbean
Advancing Global Cultural Competencies: International Service Learning Within NASPAA Member Programs
This article posits international service learning (ISL) as a pedagogy that supports internationalization in the field of public affairs and one known to advance global cultural competency in other professions. We present a baseline study of the extent to which ISL is being made available to master’s students in NASPAA member programs, and the extent to which existing programs are responding to key challenges of ethics and assessment. The exploratory analysis shows a lack of clear understanding of ISL in professional public affairs education and very few ISL programs being offered in the field. Among the programs that do exist, there is a commitment to ethical practices and to creative approaches to overcoming challenges. However, these programs have yet to apply systematic assessment, particularly in evaluating their contributions to global cultural competencies. We conclude with a series of recommendations targeted to public affairs faculty, program directors, and NASPAA
Are We Getting Them Out of the Country? The State of Study Abroad Opportunities Within NASPAA Member Programs
The pressures of globalization in the 21st century demand public affairs professionals with new competencies, among them the ability to work collaboratively and communicate effectively across national boundaries and cultural differences. International immersion through study abroad has been demonstrated to be an effective means of enhancing global cultural competencies among undergraduate and graduate students in a variety of other professions, but has not previously been examined within the context of public administration or public policy specifically. This article examines the extent to which public affairs programs are providing students with study abroad opportunities. Drawing upon survey and interview data from representatives of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration’s member programs, the authors document the status and defining characteristics of study abroad programs in public affairs, identify challenges, and present a series of recommendations
Government and the Nonprofit Sector in Latin America
A growing literature is exploring the dynamics of government–nonprofit relations, but most of this work has focused on developed nations with strong economies and consolidated democracies (Salamon 1995, 2002; Young 1999, 2000). The nations of the developing world, which by definition have weaker economies, and generally have less consolidated democracies and smaller nonprofit sectors, have received less attention (Najam 2000; Coston 1998). Among the latter, the nations of Latin America present an interesting set of cases: there is wide variation in terms of levels of economic development and democratic consolidation, but historically weak nonprofit sectors are a common element. For example, the five Latin American nations that are represented in the Johns Hopkins University Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project, although they are among the wealthiest in Latin America, have relatively small sectors compared to other developing nations, many of whom are less wealthy (Salamon et al. ch. 2). The final decades of the twentieth century witnessed a period of democratic stability in Latin America, which unfortunately has – in some nations – fallen prey to what Weyland (2013) alternately describes as “soft authoritarianism,” “personalistic plebiscitarianism,” or populism. A growing number of nations,including Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and now Argentina, have fallen under the sway of demagogic leaders who have accrued executive power, weakened pluralism and undermined effective institutional checks and balances. At the same time, a number of nations have also moved toward consolidating democracy with varying degrees of success, with Costa Rica and Uruguay as clear leaders, but also Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico making noteworthy progress (Weyland 2013). In this complex context, the relationship between government and the nonprofit sector1 in Latin America takes on a variety of forms and has been subject to important legislative and constitutional debates (Gidron and Bar 2010). Perhaps the single most important measure of government–nonprofit relations is a nation’s legal framework, as this “will influence how strong [civil society] is in any particular setting” (Uphoff and Krishna 2004, 360; Young 2010). A civil society legal framework is made up of “laws that attempt to address all of the issues that arise over the “lifecycle” of a non-governmental organization” (International Center for Nonprofit Law 2009, 4). In Latin America, policy debates about civil society legal frameworks are occurring in a context of democratic transition in which the parameters of the public sphere are contested, with governments, political parties, and nonprofits seeking to carve out territory. It is important to underline that this area of law is often contested, with civil society advocating for a more favorable enabling environment and the government often seeking to place restrictions on the activities and legal status of civil society organizations, which it often perceives as a rival. Policy toward civil society and nonprofit organizations can also be part of greater shifts to the logics of development, for example, by producing symbolic links to national value and belief systems (Appe 2013). The question emerges, what conceptual lenses and explanatory factors can best illuminate these variations? The cases presented here highlight a mixed bag of regulatory environments. On the one hand, countries have outdated and/or hostile legal frameworks and lingering distrust, misunderstanding and even animosity between government and the nonprofit sector. On the other, they feature constitutional or legal recognition of freedom of association and the importance of an independent sector. In this article we will draw upon the extant literature to illuminate a complex relationship between Latin American governments and their nonprofit sectors
Pueblos indígenas como víctimas de los genocidios pasados y actuales: un tema esencial para el currículo de administración pública en América Latina
Indigenous peoples in Latin America have been and continue to be victims of mass violence and genocide. Historical and present day examples demonstrate that some atrocities are committed at the hands of or with complicity from public administrators, while in other instances government officials are essential actors in prevention. Despite the critical role which public servants can play, we document that this topic is largely absent from the disciplines of public administration and public policy. Within the framework of the un Sustainable Development Goals, we argue that public administration and policy programs have a responsibility to adjust their curricula to ensure that students and graduates are prepared to be agents of prevention. We offer suggestions and strategies for incorporating this subject into classes and programs. We link our recommendations to the universal competencies in The Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration international accreditation standards, and to the essential content areas identified by the Atlas of Public Management.Los pueblos indígenas latinoamericanos han sido y continúan siendo víctimas de atrocidades masivas y genocidios. Los ejemplos históricos y contemporáneos muestran que algunas atrocidades masivas son cometidas por servidores públicos o con su complicidad, pero también que los oficiales del Gobierno juegan un papel crítico en la prevención de estos delitos. A pesar del rol esencial de los servidores públicos, mostramos que este tema está ausente en los programas de administración y políticas públicas. Por ello, en el contexto de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible de la ONU, argumentamos que los programas en estas áreas tienen la responsabilidad de ajustar sus currículos para asegurar que sus estudiantes y egresados estén preparados para ser agentes de prevención. Basándonos en las competencias universales incluidas en los estándares de acreditación de la Red de Escuelas de Administración, Políticas y Asuntos Públicos, y en los temas esenciales del Atlas de Gestión Pública, ofrecemos sugerencias y estrategias para incorporar este tema en clases y programas de Administración y Políticas Públicas
Revisión de libros: riesgos inteligentes: cómo las pequeñas donaciones están ayudando a resolver algunos de los mayores problemas del mundo
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A Trellis for Nonprofits? The Growth of Government Civil Society Registries
Civil society registries have emerged as a type of a government-implemented policy tool that,
according to policymakers, aim to do everything from compile information, promote
accountability and foster collaboration. I argue that these types of policy tools have profound
consequences to the development of civil society. Drawing from literature on institutional
isomorphism, policy studies, government-nonprofit contracting, and development studies and
using a case study of Ecuador, this article intends to (1) explore the emerging phenomena of civil
society registries; (2) examine the intentions and interpretations of such a registry; and (3)
investigate its possible implications for civil society development and civil society-state
relations. The article ends with a discussion on the possible implications for the development of
civil society and directions for future research on civil society registries.LBJ School of Public Affair
Cultural Synthesizism Updated: Policy Initiatives and Shifts Related to the Arts and Cultural Nonprofit Sector in Colombia
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