A Fragile Legacy: The Contributions of Women in the United States Sanitary Commission to the United States Administrative State By Pam Tise Applied Research Project [email protected] Submitted to the Department of Political Science Texas State University-San Marcos In Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Public Administration Spring 2013 Faculty Approval: _______________________________________ . Patricia M. Shields, Ph.D. _______________________________________ Patricia Parent, Ph.D. A Fragile Legacy: The Contributions of Women in the United States Sanitary Commission to the United States Administrative State by Pam Tise An Applied Research Project [email protected] Submitted to the Department of Political Science Texas State University-San Marcos In Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Public Administration Spring 2013 A Fragile Legacy: The Contributions of Women in the United States Sanitary Commission to the United States Administrative State by Pam Tise Abstract Purpose: During the United States Civil War, the United States Sanitary Commission (USSC) was established to ensure hospitals and field camps met health standards, and to deliver needed supplies to Union soldiers. The supply arm of the USSC was managed by women. Employing the efforts of 7,000 ladies’ aid societies, the women distributed supplies through regional hubs. The USSC became a national organization which delivered more than twenty-million dollars worth of supplies. The importance of history cannot be over stated; however, for the past to be usable, it must be accurate. By examining the history of the United States Sanitary Commission, using original Civil War era documents, this paper explores whether the Commission meets the criteria of an organization that can be considered part of the administrative state. Method: To explore the methods of operation of the United States Sanitary Commission, this research uses seven working hypotheses based on Richard Stillman’s seven characteristics of the administrative state. The hypotheses were tested using original documents of the Sanitary Commission. Findings: The results support the theory that the United States Sanitary Commission meets all the criteria and is therefore an organization that qualifies as an example of the United States administrative state. i About the Author Pam Tise is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Political Science at Texas State University-San Marcos. Pam completed her undergraduate studies at Texas State with a Bachelor’s in Public Administration; she earned a Masters of Political Science with a minor in Legal Studies. Pam has served as a board member for Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society and Alpha Chi Honor Society. She is a member of the American Political Science Association and the American Society for Public Administration. Her areas of interest include civil liberties, women’s issues, regulatory policy, and public policy analysis. ii Acknowledgements The completion of this project would not have been possible without the support and invaluable advice of Dr. Patricia Shields. I wish to thank her for her guidance, encouragement, patience, and most of all her belief in me. I would also like to thank Dr. Patricia Parent, and the Public Administration and Political Science faculty for their instruction, assistance, and commitment to academic excellence. Ms. Dodie Weider deserves special acknowledgment and appreciation for her technical assistance and personal support over the duration of this project. Finally, I want to thank Diane, for without her unwavering support this would not have been possible. iii Table of Contents Abstract............................................................................................................................................. i About the Author ............................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iii Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... iv Preface ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter I: Introduction and Research Purpose ............................................................................... 3 Statement of Purpose ................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter Summaries ..................................................................................................................... 4 Chapter II: Historical Introductions Chapter Purpose ........................................................................................................................... 6 Historical Introduction and Founding Features ........................................................................... 6 United States Sanitary Commission Introduction ..................................................................... 10 Chapter III: Literature Review and Conceptual Framework Chapter Purpose ......................................................................................................................... 14 WH1: Unelected Experts .......................................................................................................... 14 Wh1a: Appointed experts ....................................................................................................... 15 Wh1b: Specialized Expertise .................................................................................................. 16 Wh1c: Influenced Government Policy ................................................................................... 16 WH2: Formal Hierarchical Organization .................................................................................. 17 WH2a: Officially Sanctioned ................................................................................................. 18 WH2b: Hierarchical Leadership .............................................................................................. 19 WH2c: Chain of Command .................................................................................................... 20 WH3: Impersonal Rules and Procedures ................................................................................... 21 WH3a: Standardized procedures ............................................................................................ 22 WH3b: Affects government behavior .................................................................................... 22 WH4: Implemented important government functions ................................................................ 23 WH4a: Promotes Government Standards ............................................................................... 24 WH4b: Functioned Across State Lines .................................................................................. 25 WH5: Networks .......................................................................................................................... 26 WH5a: Networks - Formal ..................................................................................................... 28 WH5b: Networks - Informal .................................................................................................. 29 WH6: Technologies ................................................................................................................... 30 WH6a: Hard Technologies ..................................................................................................... 31 WH6b: Soft Technologies ...................................................................................................... 32 Summary of Conceptual Framework ......................................................................................... 32 Conceptual Framework Table 3.1 .............................................................................................. 34 iv Chapter IV: Research Methodology Chapter Purpose ......................................................................................................................... 35 Research Method ....................................................................................................................... 35 Operationalization of the Conceptual Framework .................................................................... 35 Table 4.1: Operationalization of Conceptual Framework ........................................................ 36 Document Analysis ................................................................................................................... 38 Table 4.2: Document List .......................................................................................................... 39 Chapter Summary ...................................................................................................................... 40 Chapter V: The United States Sanitary Commission Chapter Purpose ......................................................................................................................... 41 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 41 The Beginning