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Case 8.1: Who is More Efficient—Government Workers or Private Contractors?

Audio:

• NPR – Health exchange tech problems point to a thornier issue
  Recently, the contracting debate emerged during discussions about the launch of the healthcare.gov website.  According to this report, why is the selection of contractors a challenge for government?
   

Video:

• Fox News – What to cut? Federal gov’t takes on more duties, as states take on less
  This news video reviews the government outsourcing debate.  What assumptions are made about government and private sector efficiency?
   

Web Resource:

• WhiteHouse.gov—Competitive souring: Conducting public-private competition in a reasoned and responsible manner
  This report outlines the Bush administration’s approach to competitive sourcing in the federal government.
   

Case 8.2: Federal Furloughs: Government Employees Suffer from Budget (Mis)Management

Audio:

• NPR – Sequester scorecard: A month later, effects till up in air
  This report from NPR outlines the initial impacts of the budget sequester in April, 2013.

• NPR – Furloughs only the latest blow to federal worker morale
  The impact of furloughs on worker morale is addressed in this report from NPR.
   

Video:

• CBS News – Furloughed employees speak out against shutdown 
  Beyond the furlough discussed in the case study, a federal government shutdown during the fall of 2013 also left federal employees out of work.  This video shares the impact of the furlough on federal employees through their own words.
   
• The Daily Show – Cut Punters – Sequester La-di-da
  Comedy Central’s John Stewart investigates the extent to which Congress was warned that furloughs of federal government employees would impact air travel.
   

Case 8.3: Keeping Volunteers Out of the Library? Battling the Teacher’s Union in Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Audio:

• NPR – Volunteer firefighters: Facing the flames and the mundane
  Local governments rely on volunteers for the delivery of many services, including fire services.  This report from NPR explains the work of volunteer firefighters, who make up about 70 percent of fire service in the United States.
   

Infographic:

• State Stats.org—Why support your local library?
  This infographic explains the scope of service offered by local libraries.  Scroll toward the bottom to learn about the importance of volunteer labor in many local libraries.
   

Web Resource:

• Corporation for National & Community Service (AmeriCorps)
  If you are interested in public service, check out the programs run by AmeriCorps in order to determine if this might be a good path for your own entry into public service.