Statement of Purpose
Political appointments are used to make full various federal positions of our government. These designations are employed to give a description of a scheme of picking out candidates in which the decision is made by an individual or board rather than by a poll of the populace generally, or through haphazard selection as used to select juries. The appointments may be in two ways, appointments made directly by the president which do not require senate confirmation and appointments which require senate confirmation. The president assigns duty to several levels of cabinet and agency officers.
The appointments in most cases are normally conducted directly through the white house and under the president’s supervision. An elect president carries out the appointments which are authorized by law and which can be managed by an elect president. Neither the secretary of state nor the president’s highest appointees can make any appointments. The president further appoints various levels of each agency. This shows that there are numerous entities that reports to the president. The appointees made by the president and who require confirmation of the senate usually, does not take office until the process of confirmation is accomplished. The senate has always felt free to slow or barricade the appointments it doesn’t like by just holding up the confirmation process.
Problem Statement
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) director‘s position is a politically nominated position implying, the position is filled via the president’s choice (Sylves, 2008). Studies have proved that there should be a decrease in the number of political mandates within FEMA with not personnel selected via relationships but with personnel with the experience to perform the task (Breese)
It is evident from the recent history that the personal appointment of Michael Brown was an error. Michael Brown whom was elected to be FEMA’s new director lacked experience in emergency management. This mistake then allowed for great delay in rescue attempts for Hurricane Katrina victims. Soon after the disaster of Katrina, many things changed since the disaster relief was considered an utterly and complete failure for hurricane Katrina. Much of the blame was placed on FEMA’s prior director Michael Brown, whom resigned soon after the Katrina disaster. Michael Brown was indeed partially blamed for the delay of disaster relief, and the evidence showed his lack of experience proved he was not cut out for the position (Sylves, 2008).
Even though Brown’s resume was scarce with emergency management experience, President George Bush appointed him to such a position and in return several thousands of people had to pay the price for his inexperience. When reporters suggested that the president should fire Brown the President’s reply was “why would I do that”? (Goodman, 2005)
Key Research Question
What is the type of federal legislative policy that ought to have been laid down between the years 1995 and 2008, for federal agencies in charge of Emergency Disaster Management, and ensure they were directed by experts but not political appointees?"
Research Design/ Methodology
Introduction
Indeed the Federal government has had a history of appointing political friends into the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This has led to disappointments in a number of emergency cases as these appointees have been found to lack the expertise demanded the same position. This forms the core study for this proposal.
Research Design
Population of the Study
The study involves a wide literature review from the professionals’ work. Data from government related agencies is instrumental thus going to be used. The periodical journals are going to be used especially the Contingencies and Disaster Management Journal. Additionally, the course work forms a key basis of reference in this research and thus will be widely quoted. These will include the course textbooks especially the ones dealing with emergency and disaster control. The tutor is consulted too whenever the need arise.
Sample size
The information available is wide and thus the need to sample what is going to be part of the sample is inevitable. Due to the subjective nature of this study, the probability sampling will not much relied upon and what to be reviewed for whatever reason is squarely the work of the researcher. The researcher’s decision is final on what is going to comprise the sample thus judgmental sampling will play the role. In determining the size of the sample, the estimates are going to be established but care has been instituted to ensure that the size is of standard.
Data collection Instrument and Procedure
Since this study will rely much on the Secondary data, measures have been put in place to ensure reliability of the source information is accurate. A set of question is outlined so that the research does not lose focus on what he is particularly looking for.
Presentation and analysis
The data collected will be tabulated. Use of charts especially where need arises has been provided for and the analysis will include commentaries, frequency and even percentage estimates.
Major Hypothesis
White House has had a big stake in the appointment of the disaster and emergency management officials. This has been particularly propelled by the pressure to reward political affiliates who were handy in during the election period. In that tone, this has seen people with no experience being appointed to run an organization whose mandate is majorly relied upon by the Federal government in times of crisis. Not only property has been lost, but also life, which is a basic fundamental right of any Federal citizen, has been lost. Has the White House failed its very people who have entrusted it with the duty to protect them and their property?
The Federal legislation process has been on the down side in the presidential appointees. This House carries the mandate to pass laws that govern the Federal government for the benefits of the American people and its allies. The fact that no legislation that has been instituted in controlling the competence and approval of the White House appointees to run very sensitive government agencies shows that the House has failed. Despite the past experiences of disasters like the September 11 and the Katrina case, firm statutes are lacking in controlling qualification of the presidential appointees in FEMA.
Literature Review
There is quite a lot of study that has continuously been carried out on this subject. In order to clearly understand the basics pertaining to the political appointments, a lot of research has been done to investigate more about the effects of political appointments on the operations of FEMA. So as to clearly understand these ideologies, it is vital to realize that the whole idea about appointments has vastly been referred to as politicization. This concept majorly refers to the vastly politically appointee flooded agencies as politicized. It is hereby evident based on the resent works cited that more factors have been found o affect this ideology as well as negatively influence the public domain as well. Based on the findings published about this subject, there are vast points of approach presented by different publishers about political influence of leadership in relation to appointments.
Appointees are normally drawn from both the private and the political sectors and old grater paying jobs with higher authorities. Once an individual finds his way into the government as a civil servant, he normally starts at a lesser responsibility and pay and soon thereafter works his ways to the higher position making government work his career. He can then either be fired or hired based on merit. In the United States, there are quite a large number of political appointees forming part of the governmental agencies. The entire ideologies make the civil service comparatively permeable to a greater extent. The figure below shows the ideal civil service depiction as shown in most independent nations.
Firstly, during the period when Katarina Hurricane was reported to have extended to the depths of Gulf coast in 2005, up to about 90000 square miles suffered massive diverstation from the wake itself. The resulting effect was that many people were left homeless, many lives were lost, and a lot of properties were destroyed amounting to the tune of 80 billion US dollars. Although such a storm could obviously cause such a massive destruction on the region based on its urban location and position with huge population, it could otherwise not cause such a great loss if it were properly handled.
Capitalized on the research findings documented by the past works, it is evident that all these lose were definitely due to negligence and reluctance of the leaders to adequately respond to the mess. During this whole process, it was evident that the public, the congress and the press had already signed out the FEMA agency to act in response to such catastrophes. Despite the fact that FEMA was expected to help save lives during this catastrophic scene, their response was extensively slow, ineffective and poorly coordinated.
An aftermath investigations conducted by the major media agencies as well the national congress department tried to find out whether massive political appointments could have led to the ineffectiveness of the organization. It is evident from the internal sources that FEMA has a very huge number of political appointees than can ordinarily be imagined. Critics argue that the massive political appointments have in turn contributed to the ineffectiveness in performance. As a result of such a massive ineffectiveness of the politically appointed leaders, FEMA was incapacitated in resolving the Katrina case. In respect, some of the problems realized were inadequate skills among the appointees. Most of the politically appointed leaders of FEMA showed little crisis management traits and skills.
Capitalized on the then FEMA’s managing director Brown Michael, his past job experiences totally has nothing to do with crisis resolution and management. The recorded past experience noted in Michael’s life extensively capture on the International Horse Arabian Association.
Based on this example, numerous questions pertaining to the American political system have repeatedly rocked the news. Firstly, how comes some agencies are over dominated with appointees than others? Secondly, what are some of the vital effects of political appointees to the general operations of agencies?
Based on the findings tabled by most scholars, it is realizable that most politically appointed leaders normally become ineffective at their places of work. Firstly, due to the political currents in a nation, an individual can be strategically appointed to take charge of what he has little or no idea about. This is normally the case when the president feels to reward or politically strategies on a person. It is evident from the past literatures that the individual can just be given a post irrespective of his past professional experience or academic qualifications in the field. A similar scenario was noted during the Katrina when the then appointed FEMA’s MD Michael showed no experience in crisis management.
An additional literature captures on the ideologies based timelines at which these appointments are done. In most cases, politically appointed leaders take short durations to serve in any given organization. The most common cause of such shorter stays is evidently pointed out to be unpredictable politically instigated reshuffles. As a result of such scenarios, most of these appointees find it hard to properly settle down, understand one another alongside the job nature and service delivery. These short and brief tenures eventually impede teamwork spirit at the work place. Managers employed on appointment basis normally find it quite hard to cope with the unpredictable political waves. It eventually becomes very difficult to pan as well as launch solid management strategies.
It is however not so clear from these ideologies the possibilities of correcting such issues. Even though these texts point out on the relevant weaknesses reported out in these political appointments, they do not clarify of other sources of solutions based on the FEMA’s FAILURE to concur the basic interest of the public.
Analysis of Your Investigation
It is evident from the internal sources that FEMA has a very huge number of political appointees than can ordinarily be imagined. Critics argue that the massive political appointments have in turn contributed to the ineffectiveness in performance. As a result of such a massive ineffectiveness of the politically appointed leaders, FEMA was incapacitated in resolving the Katrina case. In respect, some of the problems realized were inadequate skills among the appointees. Most of the politically appointed leaders of FEMA showed little crisis management traits and skills.
Appointees are normally drawn from both the private and the political sectors and have paying jobs with higher authorities. Once an individual finds his way into the government as a civil servant, he normally starts at a lesser responsibility and pay and soon thereafter works his ways to the higher position making government work his career. He can then either be fired or hired based on merit.
In the United States, there are quite a large number of political appointees forming part of the governmental agencies. Even though Brown’s resume was scarce with emergency management experience, President George Bush appointed him to such a position and in return several thousands of people had to pay the price for his inexperience. When reporters suggested that the president should fire Brown the President’s reply was “why would I do that”? (Goodman, 2005)
Conclusion
Political appointments are used to make full various federal positions of our government. These designations are employed to give a description of a scheme of picking out candidates in which the decision is made by an individual or board rather than by a poll of the populace generally, or through haphazard selection as used to select juries. The appointments may be in two ways, appointments made directly by the president which do not require senate confirmation and appointments which require senate confirmation. The president assigns duty to several levels of cabinet and agency officers.
The appointments are normally conducted directly through the white house and under the president’s supervision. An elect president carries out the appointments which are authorized by law and which can be managed by an elect president. Neither the secretary of state nor the president’s highest appointees can make any appointments. The president further appoints various levels of each agency. This shows that there are numerous entities that reports to the president. The appointees made by the president and who require confirmation of the senate usually, does not take office until the process of confirmation is accomplished. The senate has always felt free to slow or barricade the appointments it doesn’t like by just holding up the confirmation process.
Recommendations
The government should always seek out a better way of appointing top agency officials without political instigations. Additionally, those to be appointed should be tested and approved by a team of relevant professionals so as to rightly employ people at their best serving zones. All agency managers should therefore have a better understanding of every responsibility under which they are charged. It is equally important to ensure that once an individual has been given an opportunity to serve, there should be a constitutionally spelled minimum number of years that his term should be due. This will help the managers to adequately settle down and strategize on how to effectively serve in their various capacities.
It is equally recommendable that the government reduces the number of politically influenced seats in FEMA. This would be done by at least allowing some vital roles to be played by the professionals under leadership capacity to properly bring about proper coordination at work. Capitalizing on the observed failures observed during the Katrina crisis, all the ideologies observed in this case would greatly and effectively result into success.
References
Manna, P. (2006) Federal System of the American Government: NY, George UNI press publishers.
Paul, M. (2008) Policies of the Federal Education collision course: Chicago, Harvard University press
"President Clinton Raises FEMA Director to Cabinet Status" (Press release). Feberal Emergency Management Agency. 1996-02-26. Retrieved 2012-28-10.
Bill Gertz, Washington Times, September 4, 1992, "Mikulski faults FEMA officials, calls for probe"
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, (1996) "Short Takes; Quick Witt helps"
U.S. Public Records Index Vol 1 & 2 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010.
Bush Nominates New FEMA Director – CBS News, April 6, 2006
Duct tape sales rise amid terror fears – CNN, February 11, 2003
Survival planning starts at home – USA Today, February 11, 2003
Begley, T. (2010)” Networks and cronyism: A social exchange analysis”: Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 27:281-297
