Termination and Bureaucracy: Ending Government Programs, Policies, and Organizations

This chapter reviews the most current literature on organizational and policy termination and will define and describe the reasons for, the types of, and the obstacles and steps to termination. Termination will be discussed as part of the overall process of public policy-making. The chapter summaries of Herbert Kaufman's work in termination will be presented and discussed. It provides examples of actual terminations: first, the case of Sunset legislation will be reviewed; and, second, the results of the termination of public training schools in the states of Massachusetts and Oklahoma will be compared. The chapter concludes about the need for and prospects of public sector terminations. Public sector termination can be defined as "the deliberate conclusion or cessation of specific government functions, programs, policies, or organizations". The termination of public programs and policies has so far referred to the end of government functions and organizations in addition to programs and policies.