Toulmin's Model for Arguing About Holding Bureaucracy Accountable

Toulmin's Model On Holding Bureaucracy Accountable "How to use this worksheet": "Toulmin's model is an effective tool to help you question your sources and the essential elements of your own argument." "Use a separate copy of this worksheet to evaluate each of your sources. Once you've identified the specific parts of each argument, compare the claims, the data, the warrants (along with any qualifiers, rebuttals, or backing).

Note where arguments are similar or different, weaker or stronger, supported by more or less (or by convincing or unconvincing) data." "Use another copy of the worksheet to plan your own argument. Decide on a claim that is supported by the data and the warrants you have discovered through your research. Knowing the elemental structure of your argument is an essential step toward producing an effective argument." Source: (Record the full source citation here)____ 1.Romzek, B.S. & Dubnick, M.J. (1987).

Accountability in the Public Sector: Lessons From the Challenger Tragedy. Public Administration Review. 47:227 -238 ____ 2.Lipsky, M.(1980). Street-Level Bureaucracy: Dilemmas of the Individual in Public Services. _ Russell Sage Foundation. 3.Lowi, T.J. (1979). The End of Liberalism.: The Second Republic of the United States. New York. W.W. Norton & Company "List each claim made in the argument." ____ Romzek, & Dubnick, (1987) links the explosion of the space shutter Challenger in mid-flight, where seven crews member lost their lives in the event because of the technical problems in the aircraft.

The managerial and human errors were the major cause of the explosion, which was due to lack of joints at lower segment of the aircraft. Decision making problem is another major cause of the explosion. People in the administrative position did not have knowledge of the history of the problems. The findings of the Roger Commission in charge of the investigation about the cause of the accidents were too narrow. The commission did not use accountability in the investigation.

NASA, being a unique public organization, has similar obligation to accountability similar to other public sector. All the public officials should be accountable for their public decisions and should answer for all their doings. Lipsky, (1980) identifies bureaucratic accountability, legal accountability, political accountability and professional accountability for public officials. However, different accountability challenges exists in NASA such as bureaucratization and politicization leading to conflicting expectations. Lipsky (1983) reveals that public officials occupy critical positions in the American position. In essence, low level employees provide essential services to government.

However, street-level bureaucrats makes government policy in two related respects, and they exercise effective decisions with references to the citizens. However, street level bureaucracies are often being criticized because of the inability to deliver responsive to appropriate services. Lipsky (1983) points out shortage of resources such as limited information and time and cost constraints to obtain necessary information can hinder bureaucracies. Thus, control and supervision provide guidance towards goals of bureaucracies. The clearer the goals, the better the performances measures are developed.

Lowi, (1979) argues in his book that capitalism and liberalism are outdated and been replaced by the public philosophy. However, Lowi explores flaws in the interest group liberalisms because government has grown larger enough making the congress to delegate authorities to agencies. Thus, American politics has been controlled by interest group making the United States to enter the time of the Second Republic. Lowi suggests that America needs to replace the interest group liberalism by the judicial democracy to restore the rule of law.

"Record the data used to support each claim." The data are collected from the Lowi (1979) book, who believes that application of judicial democracy is an appropriate tool to hold bureaucracy accountable. However, Romzek, & Dubnick, (1987 believes in his book that bureaucratic accountability, legal accountability, political accountability and professional accountability should be used to hold public officials accountable. On the other hand, Lipsky (1983) in his book argues that effective control and supervision provide guidance towards goals of bureaucracies. The clearer the goals, the better the performances measures are developed.

"Identify the warrants. (What assumptions make the data support the claims?)" Are these warrants implicit (implied) or explicit (clearly stated)"? ____All the authors agree that there are shortcomings in the application of American bureaucracy, and provide different recommendations to make bureaucracies accountable. Bureaucratic accountability, legal accountability, political accountability and professional accountability are the main argument to make public officials accountable. "Record any backing given for the warrant(s)." The case of the explosion of Challenger is one of the critical case revealing the shortcoming of bureaucracies.

Effective accountability and supervisions have been identified as effective tools that can enhance accountability in the public sector. List any qualifiers._ Public accountability is the extent public agencies manage diverse expectations. In the case of NASA explosion, managers were being criticized.