DQ 3-2

DQ 3-2

1.

A balance is very important to most dichotomies, especially in the realm of political structures. In regards to public service, there will most definitely be a disconnect between understanding the concerns and needs of the public if there is not an appropriate balance of the public-administration dichotomy. As much as they are separate in function, politics and administration depend highly on each other to deliver equitable services to the public. To maintain a healthy balance of this dichotomy, equal consideration will need to be made on both sides.

Elected officials, who are heavily influenced by the media, will typically aim to create laws and polices based on economic and political issues present in current events. Public administrators understand how these policies will be best implemented to do the public good. Public administrators can focus on the results of these policies and programs to develop a better understanding of how they may be improved. Continued collaboration between the public, nonprofit, and private sectors allows for greater awareness to raised, which may influence the political involvement and adjustment of certain policies. Administrators are greatly interwoven into the dealings of the public and have the ability to advocate socio-economic, environmental, and political needs to the sources of federal power (Stillman, 2010). This helps the politics-administration dichotomy function in a democratic government.

References

Stillman II, R. J. (2010). Public Administration: Concepts and Cases. Retrieved from https://www.gcumedia.com/digital-resources/cengage/2009/public-administration_concepts-and-cases_9e.php

2.

 Maintaining a proper balance of the politics-administration dichotomy is important to ensure the intent of the citizens are being met and provided. If there is not a proper balance, politicians and administrators could ignore the needs or the wants of the citizens by creating or administering policies in a way that is not in line with their ideas or needs but rather in the government’s. Woodrow Wilson believed “that the civil servants and administrators should not be politically influenced, but objectively focused on the execution of government policies” (USFCA, n.d.). Politics and administration are separate and should remain separate despite the similarities and relationship between the two to ensure the proper function of bureaucracy. The values of each field are what make politics and administration different. Each have their separate role with a common goal that is important in the delivery of service for the benefit of the public. It is critical that these two fields remain separate with the proper balance to achieve this common goal. 

Reference 

University of San Francisco (USFCA). (N.d.). The early history of public administration in the united states: Woodrow Wilson. Retrieved from https://onlinempadegree.usfca.edu/news-resources/news/the-early-history-of-public-administration-in-the-united-states-woodrow-wilson/

3.

It is important that politics and public administration have a balance between the two. Even though some may agree that they should be different, they both should still have a balance. There are several things and people that are different and have nothing in common but still need to have a balance between the two. For example, blended families have different people, personalities and beliefs, but they still must keep a balance within the family to keep peace between everyone.

The balance between the public and administration could help with getting the messages relayed and policies enforced properly, to and from the public. The balance could help both sides feel like they are being heard. According to Tahmasebi and Mousavi (2011), administration is on one hand and politics and the people are on the other hand. If this is true how can one hand work without other, or how can one hand not know what the other is doing. The balance could be maintained if both communicate and agree to disagree if needed.

 

Tahmasebi, R., & Mousavi, S. (2011). Politics-Administration Dichotomy: A Century Debate. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227490212_POLITICS-ADMINISTRATION_DICHOTOMY_A_C