A Governor's Time

As government grows more complex, elected officials increasingly find that there are too few hours in each day to keep up with all of the demands. But just how do they spend their hours? An unusual time-and-motion study of the way Illinois Governor Richard B. Ogilvie spent 24 working days of one month (June 1971) was conducted by one of his administrative assistants, Ronald D. Michaelson, 30, who holds a Ph.D. in government. It shows, surprisingly, that the Governor spent more time selling himself and his programs to the public than in actually managing the state government.

The study reveals that Ogilvie allocated his time by the following functions and percentage of total hours: public relations, 27%; management of state government, 19%; private social activities, 18%; legislative relations, 16%; political leadership, 11%; intraoffice responsibilities, 6%; out-of-state travel, 5%. Michaelson concedes that "public relations commitments severely encroach upon other gubernatorial functions." But he admits that this is inevitable, since it is not enough for a Governor to master his job. Governing, like justice, must not only be done but be seen to have been done.

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